The Ugly truth
by Iliketurtlesandtortoises
Summary: Kurt wants to spend the night with Blaine for the first time, but he's hesitant. Is there a reason that Blaine won't let him see what is under his shirt? Could it be something to do with the the awful father Blaine has to deal with?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! So this is my first fan- fiction, and I hope you like it. I'm not sure how long this will end up being, but I think it will only get better. If you could review this story to help me make it better that would be great, I want to be able to make somethign you would all enjoy reading. So, I present to you, The Ugly Truth!**

He lay in bed, curling his body into itself as much as he could. The pain radiated from the sting in his cheek to the bruise at his ankles and everything and anything that lay in between. His breath was warm and shallow against the cold winter air that tried to seep through his duvet. It was silent. It was peaceful.

Blaine relished these rare moments because he knew there was only so much time until the house filled with angry screams and violence. The knowledge filled him with fear. He tried to push the thoughts away from his mind but failed miserably. Then he remembered the one thing that could put him in a mood of pure bliss no matter what pain was forced upon him.

_Kurt._

He didn't know how long he laid there thinking about every aspect of his boyfriend. His eyes, his lips, his porcelain skin, his perfectly coiffed hair. When he was younger he didn't have Kurt to pull him out of his nightmare, but now he could use all the happy memories he created with his boyfriend to draw him out.

His mind was replaying the moment they met at the Dalton staircase, how perfect he knew the boy was as soon as he laid eyes on him, when he heard heavy footsteps just outside his door. He almost didn't notice, but at the tell-tale thumps up the stairs he knew his nightmare was starting up again. He drew his duvet up to his nose. He knew what was coming.

"BLAINE!" the angry voice rang out. He squeezed his eyes shut at the drunkenness in his father's voice. That would only make it worse. "BLAINE!" the voice came again. His father was standing just outside the doorway, his presence being made known by him hammering his fists noisily on the door. Blaine sat up and tried not to let the tears run down his eyes. He didn't want to give his father a weakness to berate him for.

The door swung open and slammed against the wall. Blaine cowered back into the far edge of his bed. He could practically taste the alcohol in his mouth from the stench coming off his father. His clothes and hair were dishevelled from doing God knows what earlier that evening. "Come here boy," he growled, his voice dripping with hate "Daddy needs to see his son." Blaine whimpered at the sarcasm and stayed where he was.

"DID YOU NOT HEAR ME BOY?" he yelled, his voice scratching against his throat. Blaine jumped backwards, his legs not obeying his command to walk forwards to get whatever his father wanted to do over with. His father's face twisted into a sick smile. "Disobeying? Well we all know what happens now then..." He advanced slowly. It was true. He did know what was coming...

* * *

Kurt was frustrated. Not in his normal way from the pressure of school, it wasn't even the ignorant jocks that paraded around the hallways. This time it was different. Kurt was...sexually frustrated. It took him a while to figure out; wondering if that was even possible for a squeaky clean virgin like him. But after a while of feeling the same way, he decided that's definitely what it was.

He knew that the solution would be to spend the night with Blaine. He knew they were both ready, and after being so close together for so long, he knew it would just be a case of when. Well, at least that's what he thought. The last few times Kurt had tried to do anything involving the loss of clothes, Blaine backed away. He seemed to have no problem seeing Kurt's bare chest, but when it came to himself he always seemed to cower away from the touch. At first Kurt thought he just wasn't ready, and he completely understood. He knew it was a big thing, and if he wasn't ready, he shouldn't rush his boyfriend. It was down to him what he wanted to do.

But the past few days he began to let his thoughts drift away from 'just not ready.' _Was he self-conscious about his body? Is it something I've done? Does he not want it to be with me?_ He didn't know. He was never going to rush his boyfriend and he was fine having to wait as long as needed. But deep down he really wanted to know so he could fix it and settle his frustration.

More than once Kurt would find himself letting his thoughts wonder in lesson. Thinking about what he could do to Blaine, what they could do to each other... He also had to stop daydreaming most of the time to keep himself from a very embarrassing situation in the middle of class. He knew this wasn't doing him any good. The only way he could get any idea of when his dreams might become reality would be to step up and talk to Blaine.

Kurt wasn't as embarrassed about sex as he used to be. It wasn't as if he was ready to shout about it from the roof tops, no way, but if he had to talk to one person about it, he would choose the person that might even be able to settle his 'frustration'. There were only a few more minutes of lunch left. Kurt hadn't seen Blaine at all as he was busy in the library, nothing out of the ordinary before a big test. He decided he would have to catch him before the end of lunch and somehow weasel it into the conversation.

Kurt walked down the hallway, not even bothering to check in the library for Blaine. His boyfriend always spent the last few minutes of lunch at his locker, sorting through what he needed for next lesson. Kurt liked how well he knew his boyfriend. As he turned the corner, he got overwhelmed at what he was about to do. How was he going to bring this up into a normal conversation? If there was one thing he knew about Blaine, it was that he would most probably stay completely oblivious unless he was to say "Hey Blaine, want to have sex?" He hoped it wouldn't come to that but he wouldn't be surprised if it did.

Kurt sashayed around the last corner, and as he knew he would be, Blaine was standing at his locker dreamy as ever. Kurt bit his lip as he slowly headed towards him. He looked his boyfriend up and down, from his loose crimson jeans to the long sleeved black shirt he was wearing. His hair was curly atop his head and hanging ever so slightly in his hazel eyes. Kurt shook his head. If he kept going like this he would never actually reach his boyfriend before having to leave again.

Kurt appeared just as Blaine shut the door of his locker, earning a small jump backwards and a laugh. Kurt loved being able to surprise him, even if it was only in the slightest. "Hey!" Blaine breathed happily "you scared me!" Kurt laughed and threw back a sorry in response. Out the corner of his eye he glanced at the textbooks in Blaine's hands. Ancient history. _That's on the other side of the school_ Kurt thought, _I can do this._

"Did you have fun studying?" Kurt asked as they slowly started walking down the lightly populated hallway. Blaine laughed and shook his head. "I hate Math, but at least I'll be ready for tomorrow. And I liked the quiet" Blaine quickly added onto the end. Kurt nodded. He knew his boyfriend thrived in the quiet, which just proved another way they were similar. As they turned into a deserted corridor Kurt saw his chance and decided to run with it. Now or never.

"So," he started, unsure of how this would pan out "I've been thinking about us...and our relationship." Blaine looked up from the floor with slightly panicked eyes. Kurt stopped walking "No! No, sweetie this is nothing bad! I just wanted to talk to you." Blaine sighed happily and chuckled. They resumed their former pace across the shiny hallway. They walked in silence for a moment; Blaine reeling from what he thought would be a break up and Kurt wondering what to say.

"How would you feel about about...taking the next step?" he suggested, one eyebrow raised. Blaine stared ahead, still walking and not looking at his boyfriend. It felt like a good few minutes of silence to Kurt but it couldn't have been more than a couple of seconds. Blaine turned his face to look at him to meet Kurt's worried face. Blaine laughed. "You don't have to look so worried, Kurt, I honestly don't know what you're talking about" he said with a genuine look of confusion on his face. The other boy laughed at his innocence. _Of course Blaine wouldn't get it._

"I was thinking we could...how should I put it...get involved in some adult activities?" he half-sung playfully. He could practically see the cogs in Blaine's head working when he turned to look forward again. As much as he wanted to do this, he still wanted it to be romantic_. There wouldn't be much to look back on if I just blurted it out_, he thought. Blaine looked back at Kurt once again. "You want to get drunk? Do you remember what happened last time?" Kurt laughed again and thought of the night at Scandals. Blaine seemed to be very clear in what he wanted that night. If only Kurt had it in him to be that blunt.

"No..." he said, losing his will to carry on this conversation "try and think of another adult activity..." he lowered his voice at the end to try and add a sexual undertone, but it just made him sound like he needed to cough. He cleared his throat and let Blaine's head work again, except this time his gaze didn't leave his boyfriends. His eyes widened slightly. Maybe he's finally got it. "You wanna get high?" he said, his voice high with surprise. Kurt jumped back with surprise. Blaine continued when Kurt said nothing. "Like I know you're young and everything but doing drugs isn't really a good idea-"

"NO! No Blaine that's not what I meant" Kurt interrupted quickly as the school bell rang. Blaine looked at him, still seeming just as mystified as before.

"Look, Kurt I have to get to class, but this seems pretty important so call me later okay?" he suggested, walking backwards slowly so still within sight and earshot of Kurt. He was about to ask him to coffee later to talk properly, but ended up just nodding. He knew full well he didn't want to discuss this on the phone, and made a note to come up with an excuse not to pick up the phone if he called. He waved shyly as Blaine walked down the remainder of the hallway before swiftly turning and going into his own classroom.

As he got through the door he sat and banged his head onto the desk in one movement_. Could that conversation have gone any worse?_ He knew it wasn't a rejection but deep down it still felt like one. Did Blaine really not see him that way at all for him to know what he was talking about? He knew he could be oblivious but not to that extent. Would he have to put his crotch in Blaine's face to get his point across? Not that he was complaining, but would he? He propped his head up with his arm and didn't write down a single word that English lesson.

* * *

As the end of the day bell went, Blaine stood up and left the class room as quick as he could. As much as he loved him and it pained him to think it, he didn't want to cross paths with Kurt. He knew Kurt liked to see him at the end of the day, and Blaine liked to see his boyfriend before his dreaded trip home, but today he wasn't up for it.

Today he was panicking.

He pulled his phone out his pocket as he left the school gates to tell Kurt he was going home and not to wait for him. He was usually his ride home, but today he wanted to be alone with his thoughts. He knew full well what Kurt had been suggesting earlier and it had thrown him in a loop. He couldn't have sex with Kurt. He couldn't. He couldn't let Kurt see him under all the layers. _How would he react to the painful truth that hid underneath?_

As much as he wanted it, he couldn't have it. He never had anything he wanted so he was used to denying himself, but this was probably the most painful thing he had to tell himself no to. It wasn't just about sex, it was that he was denying Kurt something he seemed to want, and not letting himself get close to him felt a lot like pushing him away.

Blaine walked down a shady alley way, turning left away from his house. Whenever he wanted to think things over, he would go to the park he went to when he was younger. He didn't exactly know why but he remembered it and it somehow always helped him to think clear. He didn't know the logic behind it but he knew sitting alone in his bedroom wouldn't do anything to help.

After a few minutes of walking in silence he arrived and immediately sat on one of swings. He threw his bag over to the side and planted his feet firmly on the ground. He sat there for a moment, thinking nothing, doing nothing, just slowly swinging the smallest distance forwards and backwards. Kurt was never one to judge, but he couldn't let him see his body. He knew his boyfriend would love him all the same if his body wasn't perfect, but it wasn't just a minor cosmetic issue. It's not like Blaine was a little overweight, or wasn't muscular at all. Letting Kurt see him, even rolling up his sleeves for once would show Kurt the years of abuse he had suffered through. Blaine would always manage to pass off the stray injury to the face on his 'boxing' he supposedly did, but his tortured excuse for a body would cause a hell of a lot of explaining to do.

Blaine didn't like his life at home, he didn't even know if he could call it that. It was the building he fell asleep in and suffered in, a house, not a home. But he wasn't ready to tell anyone about it. It he told, it would change his life forever and he didn't want that. Every night he would tell himself the same thing. _Only one more year,_ he would think, _only one more year and I'm out of here_. If he was nearly out of there, what would be the point?

He didn't want all the attention it would bring. And he didn't want Kurt to know he had hidden a huge aspect of his life from him. If Kurt saw him he would do something, anything, to make his life better. It was the type of person he was. He wouldn't look at him and carry on their first night together. Blaine thought it might even be enough to make him cry, and the last thing he wanted was to see tears in those beautiful blue eyes of his.

He stood from the swing and picked up his bag. At some point he had felt his pocket vibrate with a reply from Kurt, but he hadn't bothered to read it. As he kept going back home, he decided to play it dumb with Kurt. He knew it wasn't good for either of them and couldn't keep it up for long, but it was better than what would happen if he just gave up. With a sigh, he reached his front door. He swallowed deeply before walking through the doorway and hanging his head low.

t here...


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi again! Thank you to everyone who followed this story, I hope you liked it. I also hope you like this chapter, tell me in the reviews if you think i should do anything different or maybe have any suggestions for the next few chapters? I won't be able to update this quickly next chapter, I have some homework and, spoiler, next chapter will be a lot longer as its the night of the sleepover. See you next time!**

**Disclaimer: I dont own Glee or any of the characters, wish i did though :)**

* * *

As Kurt got up from bed, he groaned. As much as he had wished to wake up and for it magically to be Saturday, it hadn't worked. It was only Thursday, which meant he had to see Blaine for seven hours of the day and somehow finish their conversation. Blaine may have been oblivious, but he wasn't forgetful. At all. Kurt knew if he mentioned something minuscule a month ago, his boyfriend would remember every single detail.

Normally this was a good thing, not many people at his school would remember things like anniversaries or plans that were made two months in advance and Kurt loved how much he cared, and admired his amazing brain. But today he wanted him to wake up and know nothing of yesterday's conversation. It wouldn't work, just like his wish for the days to swap around, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try.

When Kurt had finished getting ready, his thoughts not drifting once, he headed downstairs. He knew what he was doing. He was sabotaging himself from something he wanted because he was embarrassed.

He'd done it before, like when he messed up a note on defying gravity against Rachel. Although they hadn't used the song at sectionals, he was regretted doing it. He shouldn't mess up something he was passionate about just because he was worried what someone would say. As he sat at the breakfast table, he locked his jaw and held his head high.

Yes it was embarrassing talking about this kind of stuff, but this was Blaine and he wasn't going to make fun of him for something he wanted. And it was something he wanted. He couldn't remember the last time he wanted something so badly, and he wasn't going to let his weird issues get in the way.

He remembered when Blaine tried to help Kurt be sexy before regionals, and it might not have been much but he had been so grateful. He could still remember how open Blaine had been to him before, even though they weren't even in a relationship. And Kurt could also still remember how badly he wanted to say yes and find out what his future boyfriend had to say, but stopped because it was embarrassing. He had stopped himself before. He had stopped himself then. He wouldn't stop himself this time.

If only he knew what to say. That was the problem. If he had a way of saying it in a way Blaine would definitely understand, he would be fine. But he didn't.

Kurt stood with a sigh when his father entered the room. His hands were in his pockets and his face had a stern but concerned look. Kurt greeted him with a smile, but Burt didn't do the same, he seemed to have something else on his mind. "Sit down, Kurt." He crossed his arms and spoke in an even tone.

Kurt did as he was told, like always, but didn't know why. _Have I done something wrong?_ He opened his mouth to ask, but his father shut him down by throwing up a hand. "Look, buddy, I'm gonna be honest with you okay?" he asked. Kurt nodded, confused as to where this was going.

"So, me and Carole have to go to Washington this weekend for business," he started, pacing around to where Kurt was sat. He didn't think this was any different; he'd been to Washington so many times before with Carole, once for a whole week. "I know this doesn't seem like it matters, and I know we've been away a lot, but this time is different. Finn wants to come with us to check out the area. Do you get where I'm coming from with this?"

Kurt realised what was going on. He was going to be home alone. He'd been in the house alone before, but not for a night and especially not a whole weekend. "We'll be leaving Friday afternoon after Finn finishes at school and be back on Monday early in the morning," he continued, sitting in the chair near Kurt looking him straight in the eye. Kurt swallowed and sat up higher in his chair, nervously tracing his fingers on the leg of his jeans.

"Now, I know you're responsible and I know I can trust you. First off I just wanted to tell you we were going. But," he said, getting more serious "I want to give you a set of rules. One, no parties. I mean it, I'm not coming home to see that my roof is missing or there's a dead raccoon in my toilet."

Kurt laughed. Even if he wanted a party he wouldn't dare without his father's permission. "Rule two; don't burn the house down with your fancy foods. Just...make some grilled cheese." _Kurt smirked, like I'm gonna eat grilled cheese for three days. _"And rule three. This one's a bit more complicated."

"This weekend, you will be able to have people over; I don't want you to be alone. You can have one of your sleep overs with your girlfriends as long as you tidy up after. I don't mind that," he leaned in further to Kurt and he did the same "I will let you have Blaine over if you want, I know he practically lives here on weekends and I don't want you to change that. But this weekend will be different. This weekend you'll be ...alone."

Kurt sat backwards. He knew where this was going. "Don't worry kid, I'm not gonna give you _the talk_, but I just want to tell you to be smart with him. I'm not saying you were going to do anything anyway, but, just in case. Be sensible, and know that I trust you buddy. We good?" he asked Kurt, looking to wrap things up and head out. Kurt just nodded and Burt patted him on the back and left.

Kurt sat in silence for a minute, letting what his dad had just said sink in for a moment. He was going to home alone. Home. Alone. Kurt jumped up, suddenly getting the best idea. He knew what to say to Blaine now, and it wasn't nearly as embarrassing as anything he'd been thinking about saying. He grabbed his phone and sent a quick text to Blaine:-

"Morning sweetie! I'm about to leave for school and wondered if you maybe wanted a ride to school, I wanna talk to about something. Maybe see you in a minute? Love you xxxxx ;)"

Kurt ran to his car and sat in the driver's seat waiting for a reply before he left, wanting to bring this up as soon as he could.

* * *

Blaine heard his phone vibrate on the side of the sink where he'd left it. He'd been washing a fairly recent cut on his forearm that his father had given him. He glanced over at the screen of his phone vibrate. As soon as he saw Kurt's name he put on his green long sleeved shirt and a big long sleeved hoodie and grabbed his phone.

He stared at the screen. Oh God. He knew what this was about and wanted to avoid it like the plague. He quickly typed out a reply to him and started to look for his bag:-

"Hey Kurt, I'd love to ride with you but I'm actually already here so I guess I'll just see you when you get here? Maybe tomorrow. Love you too xxxx"

Blaine felt bad, Kurt was obviously excited. He knew Kurt was just going to talk to him when he got to school so it didn't actually do anything. Blaine slipped quietly out the front door; he could see his dad still passed out on the sofa from the night before. He ran to school as fast as he could to get there before Kurt. He didn't want him to know he lied, but he would have to be quick to get there before him and acting nonchalant.

* * *

Blaine got there in a record breaking four minutes, slamming into his locker at his speed. He groaned out loudly at the pain he felt when he hit the lockers and the pain running had caused, but ignored the stares he got. He worked on getting his breathing back to normal. He wasn't the exactly unfit, but it had been tiring to say the least.

He opened his locker when the pain subsided as Kurt turned round the corner. Blaine didn't look up but he could tell who it was from his light footsteps. "Hey you!" Kurt said when he reached. He furrowed his eyebrows. "Why are you so out of breath?" Blaine tensed while he thought of an answer. He grabbed some books out his locker and shut it slowly, buying time.

"I uh...went for a run. Around school...I was bored." Blaine cursed himself in his head. _What kind of answer was that? _Kurt laughed at his boyfriend. "You little weirdo, you" he said happily and slapped Blaine on the back while he laughed. Blaine winced at the contact and the pain that came with it but chuckled through it.

"Look Kurt I'm gonna get to class but I'll see you at lunch okay? I love you" Blaine said and walked away without so much as waiting for a reply from Kurt. Kurt stood there with his mouth open, thinking about shouting a goodbye, but decided to just go to class.

* * *

As soon as the bell rang, Kurt shot up and bolted out the door as normally as he could in the middle of a school. He needed to find Blaine, he'd waited all day and at lunch there was nowhere to hide. He knew what to say, and had spent all day preparing for any answer he could be given. Blaine usually went to the canteen, so Kurt headed there first.

He was right and saw him leaning against the wall. He looked so cosy in his big hoody, and Kurt couldn't believe how badly he wanted to snuggle up with him and strip him off at the same time. Blaine greeted him with a shy wave. Kurt all but ran up to him, and stood right up close. "Hey want me to buy you lunch?" Kurt asked.

Everyday Kurt asked him this and everyday he said no. He didn't know why he bothered to ask, but he always made sure. In his eyes, Blaine was very skinny. He never brought food from home and never had any spare change to buy anything. Kurt figured he was just one of those people that didn't eat lunch; before he intervened his father never ate breakfast.

"Would you mind? I'm kinda hungry..." he said quietly. Kurt was taken back. _Did that just happen...?_ He never ate lunch and this was out of the normal for him. He didn't think he'd ever seen him have anything away from Kurt's house apart from coffee from the Lima Bean.

"Um, yeah sure. What do want?" Kurt asked quietly. As weird as it was, he was still happy to see his boyfriend eat. After paying, they sat down at one of the only two seater tables in the cafeteria. Kurt decided it would be easier to wait until they finished their food, but Blaine ate painstakingly slowly. He still waited, he didn't fancy his boyfriend choking on his food from surprise.

When they both finished, Kurt decided to come out with it. After all the time it took him to finish, Kurt was glad Blaine wasn't a big fan of lunch. "So" he started, breathing deeply "do...you want to stay over Saturday?" He was going to give a bit of an introduction, but apparently his brain had forgotten about that.

"Well yeah, I like staying at your house. I could bring Chicago, we didn't actually watch it last time." Blaine answered while nodding. Kurt rolled his eyes, but to be honest that question didn't imply what he had wanted it to. It wasn't exactly blunt. Blaine took a drink while Kurt composed himself.

"No, I mean stay over, stay over. I have the house all to myself." Blaine coughed, obviously swallowing his drink the wrong way after hearing what he just did.

Kurt sat in silence, wringing his hands under the table while Blaine finished choking to death. "You mean like...this weekend?" he said and Kurt simply nodded. He got ready to apologise and tell him it was a joke, or just a suggestion and _oh-my-god-this-was-such-a-mistake_ while Blaine simply breathed in deeply and said in a quiet voice "sure".

Kurt wanted to get up on the table and a happy dance right there and then. He was again wishing it to be Saturday already but for a different reason. They finished their lunch, discussing what time Blaine should arrive, and soon enough the end I the day rolled around.

Since Blaine couldn't hang out after school, Kurt decided to drive him home. As they pulled up outside the grand house, Kurt went to kiss him goodbye but Blaine pulled away. Kurt searched his eyes for an answer why, and Blaine blurted out "Uhh I think I'm getting sick and I don't wanna give it to you so...but don't worry I'll be better by Saturday."

Kurt nodded, and paid more attention to the building in front of him. He had been here many times before, but it only then occurred to him he had never been inside. What did Blaine's room look like? "Hey," Kurt said as Blaine opened the car door. "Could I come in and use your bathroom quickly?" Blaine's mouth shot open.

"Uh our toilet broke, we're using next doors, sorry. See you tomorrow at school, love you bye. Thanks for the ride!" he said quickly before he ran inside his front door. Kurt didn't know what that was. Today had been a weird day for Blaine. As much as he thought it was from the conversation they had and what they decided to do, but it had been going on all day so he decided to let it go and keep driving home.

* * *

As Blaine walked into the house, he peered around to see if his father was home or not. He couldn't see him anywhere, so he ran straight upstairs to his room and sat cross legged on his bed. What had he agreed to? As Blaine thought about it, he had basically agreed to change his whole life in that one moment because he couldn't think of a reason to say no.

He sat there, thinking about what it would be like to have a parent that he would have to ask permission from to stay over Kurt's. What it would be like to have a parent that would buy in food he could take to school, or at least give their son a dollar to buy a cheap sandwich. He hated having to ask Kurt to buy him lunch today, but he was starving. It served as a good way to post-pone their conversation, but he knew he never would be able to fully.

To tell the truth, he had no plans for Saturday. His plans were to see how it went, because on top of all his troubles he already had, he was still nervous about his first time like any other kid would be. Who knows what would happen that night?

He was about to call Kurt and apologise about being so weird that day, but he was interrupted by and unwelcome visitor to his room.

The door swung open. His dad was standing in the doorway, crouching slightly to fit in. Blaine definitely got his height from his mother. He froze on his bed, phone in hand, staring at his dad.

It was a painful silence. Blaine's dad advanced towards him, back straight and his face holding a look of disgust and anger. Blaine felt like a piece of dirt stuck to his dad's shoe. "...Dad?" he said quietly, daring to look into his eyes.

"YOU DO NOT TALK TO ME" his father shouted and grabbed Blaine's neck. Tightly. He could hardly breathe, his father's face was pressed up against his own. He was breathing deep. "Do you know how much I despise you? How much I want to erase your existence?" he almost whispered, and let go of Blaine's neck. Blaine gasped for air and slouched down. His father grabbed him painfully by the hair and Blaine winced. "GET UP" his father shouted, letting go of his child's head. Blaine hopped to his feet immediately, obeying his father's orders. He didn't what would come next but he knew it wasn't pretty...

A half hour later saw Blaine lying in a crumpled heap on the floor, unable to move from the pain. He wondered how different it would be, for once, to be lying next to Kurt.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone! This update took a bit longer but I hope you like it! Quite a bit happens in this chapter. and even more happens in the next so I hope you stick around for it. I think it might be up sometime next week but I promise it will be worth the wait! I want to say thank you to all the people who followed and reviewed the story, so please do if you like it! Also for some reason, Blaine accidently ended up with an obsession of the musical Chicago and I'm not sure why, but just go with it. Anyway, enjoy the night of the sleepover!**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Glee, but how cool would that be?**

* * *

Kurt was pacing. Which was weird. Kurt never paced. But now Kurt found himself walking slowly back and forth cross the living room, his eyes never leaving the clock that sat on the mantle.

6:47pm

Kurt had woken up that Saturday morning at 5:56am. He didn't want to wake up that early, he never did. Sleep was important for the complexion and if Kurt was going to spend all the money and time he did on his moisturising routine, he wasn't going to ruin his face because he was excited for something.

He tossed and turned for ten minutes before giving up; he wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep. Kurt was about to go through his normal routine of getting ready when it hit him-tonight was the night. He stepped away from the shower. He couldn't have a shower then, because he wouldn't be fresh for when Blaine came round that evening. He headed downstairs and thought he would wait until lunchtime to have a shower, which would give him enough time to get him and his house ready.

He sat watching Americas Next Top Model with a bowl of muesli and tried to distract himself with the fabulousness of Miss Tyra Banks. Normally that would have done it for him, but he couldn't just sit around. Things needed to be done!

And for the whole day, Kurt just couldn't sit still. There were things that needed to be done, dusted, cleaned, washed. This night had to be perfect because it was only going to happen once. Because of all the busywork, he hadn't had much of a chance to think about how tonight was going to happen, he had only let the thought that everything had to be perfect consume him entirely.

And now he was pacing around, 6:50pm, ten minutes before Blaine was supposed to arrive with nothing else to think about. _Will we do it as soon as Blaine arrives? Do we have to talk about it first? Oh God, what if I'm horrible at this?_ His stomach felt like a washing machine full of emotion and a new feeling would pop its head up every four seconds. 6:55pm. Five more minutes. He had survived all day. He could survive five more minutes.

* * *

Across town, Blaine had thirty minutes before he was supposed to arrive at Kurt's. It would be a ten minute walk, so he should have packed everything he needed by now. Right?

Wrong.

Blaine was sitting cross legged in the middle of his bed. _What am I doing_? He had three layers of clothes on, a long sleeved vest (which were very hard to find), a long sleeved shirt and a giant, thick hoodie. He was boiling; it wasn't exactly the right weather for that type of outfit. When he looked down at himself, he didn't exactly look the way he wanted to.

Tonight was supposedly going to be his first night and he wanted to look sexy to Kurt. But he couldn't. Firstly when he looked at his wardrobe, there wasn't much there. Blaine mostly had different hoodies and alternated which of his two long sleeved shirts he wore underneath. He had four different pairs of trousers, two of which were jogging bottoms. He managed to squeeze himself painfully into his tightest jeans that night as opposed to the maroon ones he always wore to school in a vague attempt to look a bit better.

But mostly the layers were there to act as a barrier to Kurt. He didn't want them there, but he couldn't help it. They were there to protect him, and who knew what would happen when Kurt tried to pull them down from him. He hadn't done anything different to his hair, he didn't especially have anything to hand and Kurt had said to him that he liked the curly mess the way it was.

Blaine sighed and got up from the bed. His legs ached, they were being squeezed far too tight but he couldn't wear everyday clothes. He gathered up his long, covering pyjamas, his guitar and a few other things up. If he walked a bit faster than normal, he would be able to make to Kurt's on time. He opened the door quietly.

Normally if he wanted to go out at night he would go out the window. But from earlier that day his body was in no shape for that, and he didn't fancy throwing his only few belongings to the ground. He just held his breath and hoped his father wouldn't hear his footsteps.

He had made it safely down the stairs. His shoes didn't make any noise on the carpet, but the wooden hallway to freedom might be a problem. Every time he put his weight down a quiet tap made its way through the air. Blaine might not have been keen for this night, but it sounded much better than staying home. Staying anywhere was better than staying home.

He reached the door, and reached slowly for the doorknob, as if the movement itself was making a catastrophic amount of noise. As soon as it made contact with his hand, He felt a large presence from behind him.

He froze. He realised how bad this looked, standing at the front door with most of his pathetic possessions. He just stood there and hoped whatever was going to happen would be quick as pain free as it could be. His father placed a heavy hand on top of his shoulder which, if done by anyone else, would have been a friendly gesture.

"Hey, faggot. Where do you think you're going? Daddy wanted some alone time with his son tonight..." his father slurred. Blaine flinched at the words as though they were physical punches. "TURN AROUND AND FACE ME!" his father shouted. Blaine dropped his bag and swivelled around slowly. A few months ago he would have bolted out the door, especially as his dad was so drunk. But he was too weak now. Any type of punch he threw would inflict more pain on himself then his dad.

"Where are you going? To meet your boyfriend?" he sing songed. Blaine stood there and opened his mouth to protest, but he knew it was pointless. He shrunk himself down and nodded his head the tiniest amount. "No son of mine will be a faggot, looks like I'll just have to knock some sense into you."

He stood and screwed his eyes. _Not my face, please_. Kurt wouldn't be able to see his face which, if he ever got out of there, would be basically all Kurt was allowed to see. He felt the hand lift from his shoulder, and felt a weak punch in his stomach before a loud crash on the floor.

His father had passed out from all the alcohol that had been rammed down his throat. Blaine saw this as a blessing, grabbed his things from the floor beside him and ran out the door. He would be late, but if he ever told the truth he was pretty sure Kurt would forgive him.

* * *

7:09pm.

Where was Blaine? He was hardly ever late. Kurt was freaking out, and started to pace even faster. He was cursing himself in his head; it's what he liked to do when he was mad or worried. He was so self-absorbed he almost didn't hear the timid knock on his front door.

His head snapped up. He almost full on ran to the door, and took a deep breath to compose himself before him opening it. He looked out to see Blaine slightly out of breath, wearing a snuggly hoodie and the tightest jeans he'd ever seen. He was letting his eyes roam all over Blaine when he realised he was staring.

"Kurt? Can...I come in?" Blaine asked, still standing in the doorway from where Kurt hadn't let him in. "Sure! Sorry, my mind sort of spaced out." he opened the door and let Blaine walk in; laughing at the fact he had his guitar on his back. That thing must have been nearly as old as Blaine was and he hardly ever had it far away from him. It was sweet.

"Where should I put all of my stuff?" Blaine asked, gesturing at the bag he was holding in his hand. Kurt told him to just put them in his bedroom, and watched as his boyfriend walked down the stairs to his basement bedroom.

Kurt wandered to the kitchen, checking the oven. He thought it would be nice to cook for Blaine tonight, since he never had done before. Blaine had been round his house for dinner, but Carole always insisted on preparing the food. Blaine always seemed to love food, and looked happy when he ate. He wanted to make his boyfriend happy just by making him something as simple as that. Besides, they needed something to do before they got down to 'business'.

He was just setting the baking tray their meal was on when he was enveloped with a hug from behind him. Kurt smiled and wrapped his arms around Blaine's. He knew how much his boyfriend loved hugs; and he was always willing to oblige.

"That smells nice. What is it?" Blaine asked into Kurt's ear. His voice sounded questioning, like he genuinely couldn't tell what he just pulled out the oven. "It's our dinner. You'll like it; I know how much you love to eat." Kurt said and turned around in Blaine's arms so they were face to face. Blaine chuckled and buried his face into Kurt shoulder like he hadn't seen him in months. "What's wrong?" Kurt asked. Blaine said nothing was wrong, and changed the subject by asking what their night would consist of.

Kurt stiffened. Blaine always liked to know what he was going to be doing and when, which would make this conversation quite awkward. _When did I become traffic warden of tonight?_

"Well, I now we can go have dinner, it's all ready. After I thought we could let our dinner go down in my room, maybe you could play that guitar you never let out of your sight? And after that, who knows," Kurt leaned into Blaine's ear and whispered like the room was full of people and no one else could hear "we could stay in my room and figure out a way to make fun for ourselves. Just you, me, and maybe a few less clothes."

Kurt turned away quickly, avoiding eye contact. He scooped two plates and the baking tray off the side and strode confidently into the dining room waiting for Blaine to follow him. Blaine just stood frozen where he was and gulped. Less clothes? The rest sounded fun, sure, but he didn't know if it would quite pan out the way Kurt wanted.

"Come have some dinner sweetie!" he hear Kurt's high voice ring from the next room. Blaine gritted his teeth and sighed before heading in. _Tonight's going to be a long night_, he thought.

* * *

The two boys were sitting in Kurt's room having finished dinner an hour ago. Kurt was lying stomach down on his bed while watching Blaine strum his guitar and singing random snippets of songs to make his boyfriend chuckle. It was a few minutes past nine, and Kurt was getting bored. Yes he liked spending time just talking and fooling around, but he wanted to get to a different kind of fooling around.

His famous spray on jeans were suddenly feeling too hot and his shirt felt like it was constricting him. He looked up and realised Blaine was sweating, maybe feeling the same way he was. "You okay? You look a bit, well, sweaty." Kurt asked as he stood up and sat next to his boyfriend.

Blaine laughed nervously. "Yeah, I'm just hot." he instantly cursed his words as soon as they came out his mouth. Kurt just laughed and said "Take this big sweater off then, why are you even wearing it?" Blaine shrugged at the question and put his guitar on the floor. He slowly stood up and shrugged off his sweater and placed it on the back of his chair. He was still wearing two layers underneath, but he suddenly felt very vulnerable.

Kurt still sat, eyeing Blaine's covering although still quite tight shirt. He had owned it for a long time, and it did wrap around him quite well given the circumstances. Blaine suddenly noticed the look in Kurt's eye as he stood up and took and took a tiny step closer and suddenly felt uneasy. Kurt was drawing closer inch by inch, as Blaine needed a minute.

"I'm gonna freshen up, mind if I use your bathroom?" he burst out. It was fast, and he was surprised when Kurt nodded and pointed at his en suite. Blaine hurried in a way he hoped looked unsuspicious. He felt a bit better as he opened the door, until he heard Kurt's voice say suggestively "Don't be long in there, baby." Blaine's breath hitched, but kept walking until the door was shut firmly behind him.

* * *

_Oh my God he's gone to freshen up, it's about to happen. I'm gonna lose it, I'm so gonna lose it. He looks so hot; I just want to peel his jeans off and-No Kurt wait until he's in the room to get excited._

Kurt's head was gibbering at a mile a minute. He was doing a sort of gallop crossed with a tiptoe around his room in celebration. He grabbed Blaine's bag and set it on the floor to get it out of the way. He was surprised at how light it was, and when Blaine showed no sign of emerging he took a peek inside.

Pyjamas, _well you won't need those_, Kurt thought to himself, as he moved them around to look in the bottom of the bag, and he marvelled at how those were long sleeved as well.

Where do you even get those? There was a toothbrush that Blaine hadn't taken into the bathroom, Chicago, of course, some spare coins rolling around, his keys which wouldn't fit into his incredibly tight jeans and some body spray which also hadn't made it into the bathroom.

That was it? Kurt set the bag down again as was slightly disappointed at what he saw. He was expecting Blaine to have brought at least something for tonight's main event. Kurt sighed and thought it was lucky he had managed to get his hands on what they would need otherwise this evening wouldn't go at all how he wanted it.

Kurt got on the bed and felt odd. _How do I sit? Is this gonna look weird?_ Kurt didn't like how Blaine would have to awkwardly cross the distance from his bathroom to the bed while Kurt sat there. He jumped to his feet and decided they could stumble their way to the bed together. He'd always been a fan of kissing standing up anyway. He waited for Blaine to be ready. This is it.

* * *

Blaine was standing at the door, willing himself to do it. Splashing some water on his face had helped calm him down, and he had sat for a minute on the floor just to breath. He couldn't stay in there forever, but he wanted a moment to clear his head.

He oust reached his hand to the doorknob. After looking at his miserable, scrawny and tortured excuse for a body in the mirror he decided tonight was not the night. If this was ever going to happen, he would have to tell Kurt about his body beforehand. This wasn't something to spring on a person on a night that's supposed to be fun.

He didn't want to disappoint Kurt because he obviously wanted him after all the hints he had dropped that evening, but after a moment of awkwardness they could still have a nice night together. Maybe they could watch Chicago in bed together? But before that happened, he would have to say to Kurt he wasn't ready and go from there. He opened the door.

Suddenly he was knocked back by Kurt who had apparently been waiting outside the door. His lips came into contact with Kurt's and it was magical. He could feel Kurt brushing his bottom lip with his tongue which earned a soft moan from his throat. This was nice. This was...no!

He could feel Kurt roam his hands up Blaine's scarred body. This was his way of initiation, and it was too late to back out now. Blaine decided to do the same and snake his hands up Kurt's back. He didn't want to lead Kurt on, but he didn't want to disappoint him either.

Kurt slid his hands under Blaine's first shirt and managed to coerce it off his body. Kurt looked at Blaine's second shirt and giggled. "No wonder you were hot, it's like pass the parcel with you!" he joked. Blaine didn't laugh, he was panicking. Kurt didn't see it and went in for another hungry kiss.

He started to back them towards the bed. Blaine felt stuck. He didn't want to stop kissing Kurt, but this couldn't go on for much longer without everything becoming unravelled. The lights weren't even off, so Kurt would be able to see everything.

His heart was pounding. His breath was shallow through his nose while his lips were busy kissing. He had to give in. It want right, he needed time. His thoughts were overwhelming him. He could feel Kurt trying to snake his hand up under Blaine's second shirt. No. It couldn't happen; he couldn't do this, not now. He refused. He had to pull himself away somehow. Kurt's hands got dangerously close. NO!

Blaine slapped Kurt's hand away from his shirt and stepped back, breaking the kiss. His breath was deep and rapid; he just hoped Kurt couldn't hear it from where he was standing. He placed his hands on his chest and shut his eyes. His head was pointed to the floor, but he could still feel Kurt's gaze on him.

"Blaine...are you okay?" Kurt asked after a minute. Blaine didn't think and shouted at his boyfriend before he hardly finished the question. "NO". His voice made Kurt jump back slightly, but he still approached Blaine slowly. "What...what's wrong?" Kurt asked, slowly placing a hand on Blaine's back like he was a frightened cat.

"I can't...you, there's not...I'm not..." Blaine continued to stammer while he found the right words to say. It was hard to make an excuse when he had one that was so real and responsible for his mini freak-out. "Shhhh" Kurt soothed as he rubbed Blaine's back lovingly. Blaine's head was still pointed at the floor, but his hands had moved to Kurt's hips so he would stay there with him.

Kurt pulled him into a hug as best he could, with the top of Blaine's head pressed against his chest and his arms around his back. "Are you not ready for this kind of thing yet?" Kurt asked after a minute of calming Blaine down. He looked up and shook his head while biting his lip. "I'm so sorry Kurt, are you mad?" he asked gingerly.

Kurt giggled a bit at how much Blaine could remind him of a little child sometimes. "No sweetie, I'm not mad. I'm sorry I launched at you. We can wait until you're ready, I love and there's nothing more to say." Kurt said quietly. Blaine opened his mouth to protest but Kurt placed a finger on his lips to stop him. "There's nothing more to say. Now, do you want to put your pyjamas on so we can relax in bed?" Blaine nodded.

This wasn't going to happen after all. He was safe, at least for a bit longer.

* * *

Kurt was disappointed, there was no point hiding it. He was disappointed that the night he had been stressing over for so long wasn't going to happen after all. Sure, he wouldn't pressure his boyfriend into anything; he just wished he had told him before that very moment so he wouldn't have to feel so embarrassed. Blaine had said he was embarrassed at the way he reacted, and Kurt didn't think he should be, but that didn't stop him from thinking it was weir

Blaine had never slapped him away like that, and the way he held himself afterwards was just worrying. What did he have to get so worked up about? Kurt thought he had been worrying, but after seeing Blaine's freak out he counted himself lucky.

He was still lying in bed. Blaine had gone into the bathroom to get changed, which made him feel worse. Kurt had somehow plucked up the courage to get almost completely naked while he changed with Blaine in the same room, thinking it might make him do the same. But he just took his things into the bathroom and had been in there for a few minutes.

There was no point worrying about it before he went to sleep, after all Blaine had been fine after they decided not to have sex. Why was he so relieved? How come Blaine had seen nearly every part of Kurt's body, but he hadn't even seen his arms. Then it dawned on him.

I've never even seen his arms. No, that couldn't be right. Kurt racked his brain to think of a time Blaine wore a short sleeved shirt, or Kurt had been allowed to slip his hands onto Blaine's chest while they'd been making out. He couldn't find any memory that involved a glimpse of Blaine's skin. _What is he hiding underneath there that I can't see? Why haven't I thought of this before?_

Kurt laughed quietly to himself; of course that wasn't what was happening. Was it? Kurt was a year older than him, and Kurt would have been nowhere near ready for this twelve months ago. That took a bit of pressure of what he had been thinking, but there was still a small niggling at the back of his mind. _What if I'm right?_

At that moment, Blaine stepped out the bathroom door looking absolutely adorable. His hair had been ruffled in the change and was even curlier than before. His trouser legs were pooled around the bottom of his feet, obviously meant for a taller man. The long sleeves on his shirt were loose but the chest section was tight across his body.

Blaine yawned and stretched his arms up as he did. Kurt was hoping for Blaine's shirt to ride up as he did to maybe reveal a bit of stomach for him to get a glimpse of, but the tightness of his shirt kept him covered. _Damn._

Blaine stood hesitantly for a second before making his way to lie down next to Kurt. He looked tired, his eyes looking fuzzy. "Should I turn the lights off, are you tired?" Kurt asked. Blaine nodded, not even speaking up. Kurt sat up to press the light switch, and like that they were in darkness.

Kurt thought that if they weren't going to get intimate tonight then now would be a good time to get close to Blaine. His boyfriend was lying on his back staring at the ceiling. Kurt went to get into the position he always did when he laid down with Blaine. He placed his head on Blaine's chest and wrapped and arm around his stomach. Kurt was glad to see that Blaine still instinctively wrapped his arm around Kurt's back. He seemed to be holding on tighter like he would leave.

"What's wrong, Blaine?" Kurt whispered like it would wake someone up. "Nothing" he said flatly. He had no expression in his voice. Kurt wished he could see Blaine's eyes, they would have helped him get a grip on where he was standing right now. "You don't sound okay, do you wanna talk? I can turn the lights on and make you warm milk?" normally something like that would make Blaine chuckle at least slightly, but he just laid there.

"I'm just tired, Kurt. I'm just gonna go to sleep." he said, his voice still flat. Blaine rolled over to his side of the bed with his back facing Kurt and all contact was lost. Kurt wanted to pester him, he knew something was wrong. But Blaine was a very private person, and he would tell Kurt when he needed to. He just rolled over, his back to his boyfriend, and decided just to sleep.

* * *

Blaine just laid there in silence. What am I doing? He knew Kurt must have suspected something, he never would've reacted the way he had normally. He even asked what was wrong, which would have been the perfect time to come clean about everything and ask for help.

But he didn't. As he laid there he thought of the future. It would take months for his body to heal, and they never would as long as he kept living with his father. It would be a year after Kurt graduated until he was comfortable with things the way he was, but that wasn't what he wanted. What would happen when Kurt left for New York?

As far as Blaine was concerned he would be with Kurt forever. But if that was true, and he waited until he was healed to have sex, Kurt would never know about his whole childhood. How would deal when Blaine had bad depressive days, the times when he felt he physically couldn't do anything, felt he wasn't good for anything or anyone? How would he deal with the scars that would be left behind, how Blaine would sometimes have night terrors that his father would kill him, or how he was terrified that he would accidentally hurt any child that came near him?

The answer was, he wouldn't. Kurt was too good for him. He tried to think otherwise but he could just hear his father's poisonous words. You're not good enough. No one could ever love you. Everyone will leave you when they find out how disgusting you are. You'll be alone forever.

Blaine realised there were tears rolling down his eyes. He looked over at Kurt, who appeared to be sleeping soundly. He let the silent sobs shake his body and the tears roll down his eyes. Sometimes at night he would just cry, cry about his whole life at home. No one could hear him and it released some of the tension that weighed him down every day.

He was completely silent apart from a few small sniffs. But when he felt a hand on his shoulder, he flinched away, completely forgetting he was safe and sound with Kurt. "Blaine?" his boyfriend's small voice sounded. Blaine turned around to face him for a second, staying silent as he stared at his boyfriend while tears rolled down his face before burying his head into Kurt's chest and crying as hard as he wanted to. His tiny body trembled; it looked like the shakes were threatening to actually break him.

Kurt didn't ask any questions, he just laid there with his boyfriend. He rubbed his back and whispered sweet reassurances into Blaine's ear. On the inside he terrified, of course he was. He had never seen Blaine cry before and now he was literally sobbing into his chest. Eventually, Blaine tired himself out and fell asleep in his boyfriend's arms without saying a thing.

Kurt wanted nothing more than to make everything fine for him. He didn't know what exactly was with Blaine but it couldn't have been small. For a minute he was tempted to lift up Blaine's shirt to see if the niggle in his mind was true. His boyfriend crying wasn't helping him deny it, but he thought that he should get to say whatever it was that was bothering him. He just sighed and closed his eyes, _tomorrow would be a long day._


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone! Thanks so much for following, reviewing and favouriting, it really helps me out! Sorry this update has been slower than the others, Ive had lots of school but I promise to keep this story going. Also, my laptop didnt seem to like me AT ALL during these last few days, but ive managed to control it. I think from now on I'll update once a week because having schedules helps me get something done. So, I hope you like this chapter, and please floow and review! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer- I dont own glee, or I would be riding around my mansion on a horse with Chris Colfer and Darren Criss. In a non-weird way of course...ahem.**

* * *

Kurt woke up with a serene feeling. He was cosy and warm in bed, his eyes fluttering open to face the ceiling. The air was crisp and smelt like Blaine, who up until that moment had been vacant from his mind. He turned his eyes away from the ceiling to look at his boyfriend.

His head was still resting on Kurt's chest and his breath was so warm Kurt could feel it through his shirt. He had one arm draped across Kurt's stomach and one by his chest, but he still gripped onto Kurt tightly with his hands even while he was sleeping. Their legs had become intertwined during the night and every so often Blaine would twitch one like someone was kicking him.

Kurt had one arm squeezed around his tiny back and the other stroking his hand gently while he slept. Kurt was relishing this moment. He wasn't thinking anything, he wasn't letting himself. He just let himself lay there with his boyfriend, feeling amazing.

It was after a few minutes Kurt realised this was the longest he'd had this sort of contact with Blaine. Sure, they'd been like this in the same way and even had a bit more, but this is the longest it'd been before one of them pulled away. Blaine shifted in his sleep and made a high pitched whining and Kurt had to stop himself from loudly cooing at his adorableness. He had moved into a position where Kurt could see his face, and Kurt studied every inch.

His face was neutral. The tiredness he sometimes had was gone and the emotions he showed in his eyes were shielded by sleep. It was then that Kurt realised how tight Blaine must have been, because his face looked so much more relaxed than it usually did. Then his mind flashed to how Blaine looked just a few hours ago.

The fear that ran through Kurt when he saw Blaine's face full of pain and terror was indescribable. The only thing worse than seeing it was that Kurt had no idea what was causing it or how to fix it. He'd been piecing things together in his mind but he wanted to hear it from Blaine himself.

He knew whatever it was would be something huge; it wasn't like Blaine to cry or to even show weakness at all. As he looked down at Blaine, he knew he didn't want to be there when he woke up. Kurt definitely wanted to talk about this, and if he was there Blaine would try and make Kurt stay there for the whole day just holding contact. Kurt didn't want that to happen, because he'd most likely give in to his requests.

Kurt started to wonder how to get untangled from Blaine in the first place. Whenever Rachel used to fall asleep on him in the coach on the way to competitions, he would lightly blow on her face to make her roll away, so he tried that. Blaine just made another heart breakingly cute squeak and pointed his head back down to where it was when Kurt first woke up.

He sighed. _Great_. He rolled his legs to one side and managed to get them free. Gently he shuffled the palm of his hand carefully under Blaine's head. He knew from experience that his boyfriend wasn't a light sleeper, but he seriously doubted if he could pull this off. In one movement he lifted his head off his chest and rolling onto his side, freeing himself almost entirely

It broke Kurt's heart to see that Blaine was still subconsciously gripping onto the side of Kurt's shirt as he tried to pull away. Kurt had managed to swing his legs over the side of the bed and had broken all ties apart from the hand attached to his pyjamas. He lightly blew on his hands, and Blaine curled in on himself, letting Kurt go. He immediately missed the contact and warmth that Blaine had provided the whole night.

As he stepped back he could see again how small his boyfriend was. It wasn't his height that was disturbing him; it was how little weight he carried and narrowness of his shoulders. _He needs fattening up_, Kurt thought. At that moment he realised what he would do. He took one last glance at Blaine before walking quietly out the door as not to wake him up.

He wandered into the kitchen and opened the fridge, eyeing what he had in there. He quietly took out a few bits and placed them on the counter with a bowl and scales. He set to work making some of his special pancakes that he luckily had all the ingredients for. There wasn't much to them, but he believed they would help him here.

When there was something bothering Kurt when he was a child he didn't want to tell, his mom would whip some of these up. They made him feel warm and homey, and more often than not he would say what was on his mind. He tried to do it as quietly as he could do he wouldn't wake Blaine before he realised he'd have to wake him up soon for his breakfast anyway.

He continued until he had a few pancakes and wondered whether to use up all the batter before taking them to Blaine. He shrugged to himself and started to make more_. If he has more to eat, the longer we'll have to talk_, he thought. He just continued cooking, wondering about the conversation he'd have to have.

* * *

Blaine snapped his eyes open. _Where am I?_ He looked around and realised he was in Kurt's bedroom. He sat up against the pillows and realised Kurt wasn't where he was the night before. He panicked, and checked that his pyjamas hadn't ridden up so Kurt hadn't seen and get scared away. He sighed, relieved. That had been another think Blaine was scared of.

He looked around for Kurt, blinking the tiredness out of his eyes. He didn't hear any noise coming from the bathroom, so he kicked the covers off himself and shuffled his way out of bed. He readjusted his pyjamas and made his way to the quiet clattering coming from the kitchen.

He walked quietly across the hallway. He had no idea what the time was, but he didn't think it was too late. He played with the bottom of his arm sleeve as he walked through the doorway of the kitchen. Kurt came into view. He was still in his pyjamas, his trouser riding down slightly so Blaine could see a strip of his stomach. He had the tiniest drop of mixture in his hair that Blaine made a note of telling him about. If he had kept a secret about his hairs well-being, Blaine could be in serious danger.

Kurt didn't seem to see Blaine standing in the doorway, he was just standing there, spooning mixture into a frying pan. There was a stack already cooked on the side that nearly made Blaine audibly groan at the site of. He loved when Kurt cooked for him, whatever it was, and he always finished his plate. He didn't care if he liked it or not, spending most of his of lifetime with not much to eat had ingrained a habit of eating everything he got.

He stood there for a second, enjoying the peace and the site of Kurt. He couldn't stop himself from looking back and forth between the pancakes, so he stepped forward and cleared his throat in the hope he might get some. Kurt snapped his head up and smiled. "Morning!" he said. He nearly asked Blaine if he slept well, but he knew the answer. "Do you want some pancakes?" he asked instead. Blaine was dancing inside, they really did look good.

"Yeah sure." he said, trying to sound happy, but his voice coming out scratchy from not talking yet that day. Kurt giggled and placed three pancakes on a plate and pushed them in front of a chair. Blaine sat down. Kurt seemed to be thinking intently when he was placing his own pancakes on a plate, but Blaine ignored it. He looked across at his boyfriend once he had sat down and smiled. Kurt smiled back, but it didn't feel real. He shook that feeling off and took a bite of his pancakes.

He practically melted into his chair, and this time he couldn't help a little moan escape from his lips. "These are really good Kurt. How did you make them?" Blaine asked. He wondered if he would be able to make these when he was feeling down. They would probably remind him of Kurt. Kurt sighed and shook his head. Blaine was taken aback. What did I say? "Sorry...I was just asking" he said and pushed a piece of pancake around his plate before eating it.

Kurt shook his head again. _What!?_ He took a deep breath in a looked Blaine straight in the eye. "Look...I don't wanna bring you down or anything but...can we talk about last night? I still have no idea what happened...I'm worried about you."

Blaine was confused. "What about last..." he started, and then he remembered what happened last night. He had cried in front of Kurt. No, scratch that, he cried _ON_ Kurt in the middle of the night. He froze and looked at the table, a look of confusion and shock on his face. How could he have forgotten something like that? He was shouting at himself on the inside, questioning why he had got up in the first place. There was nowhere for this conversation to go.

"Look, Blaine, I'm sorry if this is weird to talk about but I just want an idea of what happened. You know you can talk to me about anything." Kurt said, looking straight at Blaine. His voice was high and sweet and concerned. Blaine kept his eyes fixed on his plate, but he felt like Kurt was burning into him with his eyes. He didn't know how to feel. Kurt was so worried about him and it was nice. It was different.

He stayed silent; he had no idea what to say. He had no excuse for breaking down in Kurt's arm. He hadn't thought about it when it happened. He was feeling miserable and Kurt had been there to hold him. The silence was obviously getting to Kurt. Blaine knew the longer he sat there silent, the more serious this would seem to Kurt. He wasn't concerned about that. Even if he'd answered straight away, it would be just as awful.

"I..." Kurt started again. He wanted to fight the silence that was floating around them. "Blaine looks at me." His voice was still calm, but less sweet. The need to know why was consuming Kurt. He kept his head down. "Now, Blaine." Blaine laughed silently. His head had made a sick joke for him to feel worse. Anyone else would reply "yes, father" at the way Kurt was demanding him of something, but Blaine knew his dad would never care this much.

Blaine slowly lifted his head to meet Kurt's eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but he had no idea how to start anything like this. He hadn't planned on telling Kurt. He still didn't. He guessed he would have to do a big bullshit speech and see if Kurt would buy it. He drew in a breath before he started.

"Look, Kurt, it's hard to tell you what happened last night because to be honest I don't really know myself. I'm not sure if it was stress, or...I don't know, but either way I'm so sorry. I didn't plan it. I didn't mean to scare you." Blaine said. He tried to sound calm, and he convinced himself Kurt would buy it.

Kurt was still staring at him. He didn't look convinced at all. "Blaine..." he sighed. Blaine gulped at how his boyfriend knew that he'd lied to him. "I want to trust you, I really do, and maybe I'm just looking for problems, but if you are lying and need to say it say it now. I mean it."

Blaine felt like he was going to cry. He did badly wanted to tell him. He wanted to lift this huge weight off his shoulders, he wanted help and to get out of his life. But he couldn't admit it. Something in him wouldn't let him open up, no matter how much Kurt cared. He felt weak and hopeless and that he couldn't do anything for himself. He was a strong person, but he couldn't do this by himself. _What do I do?_

"I'm fine Kurt, really. I'm really sorry about last night. I think I'm just gonna have a shower...thanks for breakfast." He didn't look at Kurt's face. He didn't want to see the hurt and confusion that would be there. As he headed out the door he hated himself, literally. That's right, run away Blaine he thought to himself. He just couldn't understand why he couldn't tell Kurt. He just headed for the shower and didn't look back.

* * *

Kurt was still sitting at the dining table, frozen. He didn't believe Blaine at all, not one bit. How could he? Kurt had been stressed before, and through all the bullying he'd had he never broke down and cried like Blaine had. He still needed to continue this conversation, but Blaine had escaped to the shower where Kurt had to give him his privacy. He sighed and picked up the plates from the table. And to think this weekend was supposed to fun and sexy.

Thirty minute later as Kurt was nearly dressed. He was styling his hair in the mirror, and he couldn't get one part to go right. He'd chosen to wear looser black jumpers and a loose green sweater. He didn't feel like dressing up today, and his outfit was soft enough to cry into if needed.

After five minutes of fiddling with his hair he decided he would go for the big guns. He would have break out the extra strong product he kept in the cupboard under his sink for hair related emergencies. He may have been stressed, but that was no excuse for bad hair. There never was.

He made his way over to the bathroom and went to open the door. It was only a fraction open when he heard Blaine shout "Kurt stop!" He heard running footsteps, and as long as it took for Kurt to even open the bathroom door, Blaine had managed to jump into the bath tub behind the shower curtain. He could hear Blaine's fast and panicked breath from behind the curtain, and from the silhouette he could see Blaine was pressed up against the back wall.

"Blaine I'm sorry, I thought you were down the hall and..." he trailed off. Only Blaine's shirt was left lying on the floor. He had gone through all that trouble to hide just because he didn't have a shirt on? Blaine sounded scared, but Kurt had no idea what of. This weekend was getting weirder and weirder, and Kurt had the intense desire to pull back to shower curtain.

"Blaine...are you just shirtless?" Kurt asked. The shadow of Blaine's body curled its arms over its body, like he was trying to conceal himself even more. Blaine managed a terrified answer of "Yeah I was getting dressed. I didn't think you'd come in..." Kurt wanted to scream at him. Could you really be this self-conscious? "Blaine you know I don't care what your body looks like right?" Kurt said. He seriously surprised himself wanted to cram those words back in as soon as he said it.

He swore he heard Blaine laugh and saw him shake his head, but that must've been imagination right? "Kurt...can you...can you just leave?" Blaine said timidly, almost like it was bothering him. Kurt was shocked. Blaine was never rude, never asked Kurt to get further away from him, yet that weekend had been filled with it. "...sure" he said, his voice almost a whisper. He opened the door, thinking about the conversation they would have, but he knew it would never happen. Blaine would find a way to pull away or lie. Without thinking, he swooped down and snatched Blaine's shirt off the floor before shutting the door loudly behind him.

_What did I just do?_

Blaine peered out from behind the shower curtain to make sure Kurt was actually gone. His heart was beating so fast in his chest and he knew Kurt could hear his panicked breath. He sighed in relief when he realised he was alone. That was close.

He had just come so close to everything spilling out into a big messy pile of truth, which wasn't what he wanted. He wanted Kurt to be calm and happy when he told him. He knew that hiding behind the shower curtain wasn't exactly the best option, and that Kurt would be suspicious. The longer he dwelled in here the more likely it was Kurt would try to barge in again, so Blaine decided to get dressed and face him.

He looked around on the floor but it wasn't there. Where was it? He picked up the towel he had dropped in surprise to look under there, but he still couldn't see it. He looked behind the shower curtain, behind the sink and even in the cupboard on the wall. He knew it wasn't there, but he couldn't face the fact that it wasn't in the bathroom with him. He growled quietly. He was frustrated, and most of all scared. He was confined to that bathroom unless he could hunt down his missing clothes.

He then realised what had happened. Kurt must have taken his shirt. He didn't know why, but it was the only place it could be. It certainly wasn't in the bathroom, and for his boyfriend to see him hiding away from him like he did must have been a breaking point. He looked at the door. There was no reason why it was bad to ask.

He lightly tapped on the door, like he was knocking from the outside. "Kurt...did you take my shirt?" he asked quietly. He didn't know if Kurt would be able to hear him or even know what he was talking about, but he answered back straight away, clear and confident. "Yes I did. If you want it you can come out and get it."

Blaine was taken back. Why was the boy he loved doing this? He didn't want to go out there. If he loathed the way he looked, why would Kurt accept him for what he looked like? He could tell people if he saw him, Blaine could be known as the freak kid, the ugly kid, the abused kid. He took a deep breath. "Can't you just give it to me? I'll open the door and you can just...pass it." He looked at the arm he would have to extend through door and all the marks that covered it. _I'll have to wrap it up in a towel,_ he thought.

Again, Kurt's voice snapped back clean and cool. "No. I don't know what you're hiding in that bathroom, and I'm not one to pressure, but if you want your shirt then get out here. It's just in front of the door." Blaine was getting frustrated. He couldn't stop himself from answering back loudly straight away. "I only want it to cover myself up, what's the point of having it if you can see me anyway?"

Blaine straight away lifted his hands up to cover his mouth with a loud slapping sound. They were both in silence; neither of them knew what to say. After a few minutes it was Kurt that spoke up first. "Look, I'm not giving you your shirt. Stay in there all day if you want, but that bathroom has no windows and you'll have to come out eventually. You may as well get it over with." His voice sounded worried, and last thing he wanted was for Kurt to worry about him. Kurt had a point. He would have to leave eventually, and the longer he stayed there the worse it would be.

He debated staying in there, at least until that night. He had water to drink from the tap, a toilet and even though he didn't have any food it wasn't like he hadn't gone hungry before. He could open the door and grab his shirt in the cloak of night time darkness. But then he realised that was stupid. If he fell asleep, the door didn't lock (something he had realised earlier) and Kurt could walk in and see it anyway. And if he didn't fall asleep, Kurt was a patient man and he had a lamp so there would be no cover of darkness for him.

He would have to go out there.

He gripped the door handle and prepared for everything that was about to happen. His whole life would change. He took a deep breath. But then he looked behind him and noticed the stack of towels that were resting neatly on the side. _Just because I have to go out there_, he thought, _doesn't mean I have to go out there like this_. He let go of the door handle and made his way over to the towels.

He grabbed the biggest one he could find and wrapped it around his chest and stomach like a sleeveless shirt. He looked in the mirror. Yes his torso was covered, but he couldn't let Kurt see his arms or shoulders. If he did there would no point going out looking stupid because Kurt would find out anyway. He grabbed another large towel and draped it over his shoulders. He tucked his arms under the parts that overlapped. He was completely covered and he prepared to step outside. It was hard, considering how stupid he looked.

He grabbed the door handle and swung it open. He could see Kurt staring at him out the corner of his eyes, but he didn't stop. He grabbed his shirt which was right outside, launched backwards into the bathroom and slammed it closed again. He had heard Kurt shout his name while he was doing his towel dance, but he didn't want to hear it. He could deal with it when he got out.

* * *

Once he was dressed, he stood by the door again. His hair was actually dry from the time it took him to get through everything. He creaked the door open a bit and peeked through. Kurt was sitting much closer now and was staring straight into the small part of Blaine's eye that was available. His expression was unreadable.

"Get out the bathroom." His voice was deeper than it had been before. "I mean it." Blaine felt like crying. He didn't want this to happen. "Kurt. Please." Blaine was begging him really. His voice was desperate and breaking, he was trying to break down into tears like he had the night before.

"What, now you're dressed I don't see a problem. Get out here, and talk to me." Kurt had for once lost his patience. There was obviously something wrong with Blaine and he wanted to help in any way he could, but it was hard when Blaine kept as much distance as he could.

He watched Blaine slowly open the door, and step outside. He looked beaten and miserable, like he wanted nothing more than for Kurt to go away. He wasn't going to do that. Kurt stood up, and walked over to where Blaine was standing. He raised his arms, and Blaine violently flinched back.

"I was just gonna give you a hug Blaine..." he said, his voice high and surprised. He heard Blaine softly go 'oh' under his breath. "You...you thought I was gonna hit you?" Blaine opened his mouth to speak, but ended up with a tear running down his face. Kurt pulled him into a hug_. What the hell is happening?_ Blaine once again began to cry into Kurt's chest.

He shushed in his ear an ran a hand down his back. He lingered at the bottom of Blaine's shirt. _Should I? No_. He thought. _Well, maybe..._ He did it without think and hooked a finger under the bottom of Blaine's clothing and lifted it up just a bit. Kurt tried to see over his shoulder, but he couldn't see anything, the position he was in was too awkward. He tugged it violently and felt Blaine struggle out of his grasp before he could see anything.

He looked betrayed. Kurt instantly felt guilty, whatever Blaine had under that shirt was something he felt disastrous about and he had tried to pry his secret out of him. He wanted to know but not like that. "Wh-what are you doing?" he whimpered. It sounded like he was trying to be angry, but it came out strangulated from the crying. He had his arms wrapped around his waist to guard himself.

Kurt stammered. He didn't know what made him do that, he just did it out of concern. "I...just wanted to see." he managed. He didn't sound very sure, and Blaine gave a little sarcastic laugh. "And you thought, now would be a good time? Or even a good way to do it?"

Kurt didn't answer, he just stood there. "I was standing here, crying, and thinking you love me. You'd never hurt me, and everything you were doing was because you care."

"But I do care!" Kurt interjected, but Blaine had other ideas. "But you obviously don't! I was going to tell you what you wanted to know, but that one moment made me realise that I can't trust you. I can't trust anyone!" he said, walking quickly towards the door. He stopped at the doorway. "I...I didn't think you'd try that, that you'd me hurt like everyone else does!" His expression changed to something sad, like regret of what he had just said. "I…I'll see you at school."

And with that, he was gone. Kurt was left standing in his room alone, the tears rolling down his face. His speech had him intrigued. _Why can't he trust anyone, and who the hell is hurting my boyfriend?_ Once again, he couldn't wait for tomorrow. He was going to find out once and for all what was under Blaine's shirt if he wanted him to or not.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone! I know I said a week but you've posted such lovely reviews that I wanted to put this up for you! I also had a few days where I had no homework so I thought I'd just put This up. A lot happens in this, but even more does in the next one so stay tuned. Please subscribe and review it really makes this way more fun. (sorry if its spaced out weird, I dont know what was up with my laptop). I wondered if any of you would want to follow me on twitter..? Let me know. Enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer- I dont own glee.**

* * *

Kurt heard the loud ring of his alarm, signalling for him to get up for school. He ignored it as he was already dressed and showered. He reached out an arm to stop the shrill sound from waking up the tired Burt, Carole and Finn that had recently arrived through the door. He'd spent the night lying awake, and his eyes were still red from crying.

He didn't know how to feel, he couldn't choose just one emotion. The one that came most to his mind was worry. He was worried about Blaine, he didn't know if he was safe or what was wrong with him. He'd tried to guess what he'd been hiding under his shirt, but it was hard for him to come up with any ideas that weren't supernatural. He wondered if he had a third eye on his chest or green skin like a serpent.

He hated himself for momentarily thinking that Blaine was cheating and that maybe he was littered with hickies, but he sent that thought into the darkest corner of his mind. Of course he wasn't cheating, and even if he was with another guy, Kurt would technically be the other boy because he hadn't seen his body even before they started dating.

He felt regret for handling the situation the way he had. He shouldn't have taken Blaine's shirt from the floor. It was clear he was dying to talk about this to someone even if he didn't know it yet, and pressuring him had been the wrong way to go about it. Blaine had never been good at talking about himself, but with nurturing and care it would have been told in a calm way.

He knew how embarrassed Blain must have been to wrap himself up in towels. For him to feel the need to do that, for Kurt to have caused that to happen, killed him. Why am I so selfish? He could see the years in his boyfriends eyes when he did that, and whatever was under those towels was something he hated so why did Kurt have to go and make him worse?

But mostly he regretted trying to pry into Blaine's secrets by lifting up his shirt. His boyfriend had completely broken down in his arms, putting all of himself on the line and opening up with everything he had, and he couldn't wait ten more minutes for Blaine to go at his own pace. Why did he rush something this big? He was the world's worst boyfriend, and he didn't blame him for walking out the way he did. He'd been in such a rush to get out and away from Kurt, he'd left all the things he'd brought for the sleepover at his house.

Kurt had been wearing Blaine's jumper in bed just to get the feeling he wasn't so alone. It comforted him slightly, but he still hated himself for how that weekend had turned out. He had started thinking he would have sex, and it ended with his boyfriend not even talking to him. Kurt had called and texted and infinite amount of times, but he'd had no reply. He nearly drove to Blaine's house, but he decided that it would be good for Blaine to cool off and have some space after what Kurt did. As worried as he was about his boyfriend and whether he was safe he would still be around to talk to in the morning, and if he wouldn't reply to texts he probably wouldn't open him into his house with open arms.

He looked at the clock. He still had two hours until school started, and it made him want to scream. He'd already been awake for most of the night, only managing to drift off for a couple of minutes combined. He longed to see Blaine, to make sure he was okay, to hold him securely in his arms, to tell him that whatever happened he would always be there for him. He knew Blaine would have a hard time believing him after what he did last night, but it was the truth.

He couldn't get the way Blaine had looked from the day before out of his head. The way he had a look of sheer terror and fear in his eyes, the tears that had been rolling down his cheeks from how heartbroken he was at whatever it was that he was hiding. The way he'd wrapped his arms round his stomach and arms, cradling himself for protection and doing it so comfortably like he'd done it before. The way he clutched onto his shirt to keep it in place. The way he thought Kurt was going to hit him when it was just a harmless hug. And the way it looked like he'd completely trusted Kurt two minutes beforehand, but that look had completely vanished.

Kurt tried to rid his mind free, but it wouldn't leave. This just wasn't normal for Blaine, it wasn't how he normally behaved. Blaine was a calm person, he was smart and knew how to deal with every problem. He helped Kurt through when he was being bullied, he was polite but quiet in class and he hardly ever had any problems. So this was out of the ordinary. Until Saturday, Kurt had never even seen cry let alone to the extent he had of totally letting himself go.

He had to know, but from what he learnt the night before he wouldn't rush. He would stand and wait, all day if he had to; because deep down Blaine knew he wanted to tell someone. He was his boyfriend; he was there for him no matter how long it took or no matter how long it took. Kurt sat up in bed. He still hadn't had breakfast, and cooking would be good to take his mind off everything. He just wondered if this was a good enough excuse to use to make a cake for breakfast...

* * *

Blaine's eyes fluttered open. His skin was cold from the contact it was getting from the kitchen floor. He pulled his shirtless body from the floor and used all the power in him not to tell out in pain. Sleeping face down on a tiled floor would have caused aches in anyone back, but what he was feeling was so much worse. He gripped the kitchen counter for balance. The events of last night began to fly back into his memory-

_'It was only when Blaine arrived at his front door he remembered how he left. He had only escaped from his father through luck, and now he had to face him again. He had left with most of his meagre belongings, and now he appeared to crawling back. He debated sleeping at the park that night or returning to Kurt but he couldn't. The longer he was gone the worse his punishment would be. It had only just gone one. His father was less likely to be drunk, although he wasn't counting on it. _

_He'd left his keys at Kurt's house, but the door was still unlocked from when he'd left. That wasn't a good sign. The door swung open silently. He walked in slowly. The fear inside him was rising. He knew his father was somewhere in that house with him and it terrified Blaine. He was about to head up the stairs, when he heard movement from the kitchen. He froze, stuck in mid movement._

_He heard a voice from through the hallway. It was deep, and authorative, but it didn't sound remotely tipsy. All that sounded out was "Come here, son." Blaine wondered how his dad even heard him at all. He slowly made his way to the kitchen. The soberness in his dad's voice made him hopeful this wouldn't be so bad, but he'd been lulled into that sense of false security before._

_He walked through the dining room, head down and wringing his hands. The kitchen, his dad, was only a few steps away. He stepped a foot through the doorway, and he was met with mind numbing pain. His father had punched him in the side of his face with all the power that he had, and he had a large amount, much more than Blaine._

_Blaine fell to the ground from shock and pain. He sat up and gripped his face, desperately trying not to cry. He didn't want to show weakness. He father walked behind him, blocking the door. There was no escape. "Get up and face me." His father's voice was emotionless. Blaine was breathing heavily through his nose. _

_He struggled to his feet. He'd learnt to take pain, but surprise was something he'd never been able to recover come from quickly, mostly because it's something you can't really practice. He faces his dad but daren't look in his eyes. He towered over him heavily. Blaine could still smell alcohol, but it didn't linger as heavily that time._

_"Did you have fun with your boyfriend?" His voice and face were examples of disgust. Blaine hated when he talked about Kurt. He could hurt him, he could torture him, he could speak about him like he was worth less than dirt, but never Kurt. He was already going to be beaten beyond oblivion, there wasn't any reason why he couldn't stand up for the one he loved, the only one who loved him, for once. _

_"His name is Kurt, and it doesn't concern you." It amazed him how confident he sounded because he felt as small as a mouse. His dad stepped forward to where he was and reached a hand out to where his son stood. One hand grabbed his face which was still searing in pain, and another grabbed a handful of hair to pull his head up. _

_"It does concern me because you are my son, and my son is currently deciding to live IN SIN!" He spat on his face but Blaine had gotten used to it. He hated that. He was used to the abuse; he'd had it all his life, but for him to insult him for his sexuality made him livid. He didn't say anything, he just stood there and took it. Like a coward. _

_"Got nothing to say?" His father said. He let go of Blaine's face and pushed him towards the floor. He fell and smacked the back of his head painfully on the ground. He cried out in a high shriek. It was only short but he hated himself for doing it._

_His father walked over to him and stepped down on his chest. Blaine could hardly breathe. Blaine kept coughing as he breathed in and out, which made his father press down harder. His face grew red as he got angrier. "You are WORTHLESS! You might think that little boyfriend loves you, but he doesn't. He'll leave you like everyone will!" His voice was strong and venomous. _

_"Kurt...Kurt does love me, you're wrong." Blaine managed to squeak from where he was on the floor. He had to stand up for himself at some point. His father stopped and stood still. The pressure on Blaine was relieved as he lifted his foot from his chest. It was quiet for a second, but it wasn't safe. It was the quiet before a snake strikes a helpless animal. _

_Quick as a flash his father had his hands in the rim of his shirt and yanked it over his head without much retaliation from Blaine. He was too weak, too tired, to do much more than some quick witted back talk. Blaine was lying on the floor shirtless. His bruised body was revealed into the day. _

_"YOU THINK HE COULD LOVE THIS?" His father yelled, gesturing to the ugly discolouration on his skin. Blaine couldn't hold it back. He started to cry on the floor. He was so ashamed of himself. His father tutted in disgust. "Don't cry, you girl." He kicked him in the side repeatedly until he rolled over onto his stomach. His father gripped his hair once again and slammed it into the floor until he was out.' _

Blaine looked around. He must have been out for a while, as it was Monday. He had to go to school. He would get to see Kurt again. He slowly walked up the stairs. He had left his shirt on the floor, he was just going to change his shirt, jeans and examine the damage to himself before heading out to school.

His father was either asleep or passed out on the sofa, which one it was he didn't know. He kept as quiet as he could while heading up the stairs, but he couldn't help a few squeaks escaping from his lips. There were days when Blaine was in too much pain to manage school, especially when he was occasionally pushed into a locker. On those days he would walk to the park and sit there just to get out of the house and text Kurt while he went to school without him.

He changed his clothes; he wasn't bothered about checking his body for injuries or marks. They would always be there and it was hard to tell sometimes which ones were new. He was just worried about his face, and whether it was noticeable what had gone on the night before. He was pretty sure there would be something there.

He was right. Blaine reached the mirror and cried out quietly in disgust at his own reflection. There was a cut on his forehead from where it had been slammed on the floor, his father had slammed a lot of bottles on the floor in that room a lot and Blaine had caught his face on a bigger piece. He managed to curl a piece of his hair over most of it, but some of it still peeked through as it was quite large. That'll have to do, he thought. He also had a biggish, purple bruise on the side of his face, centred on his cheekbone and drifted down lightly to his cheek and up to his eye. That would be harder to hide.

He couldn't do anything about it. There wasn't any make up in the house, and his hair couldn't reach it. He wished so badly at that time he had a beard, or had the power to suddenly grow one, but that would probably cause him more stares. He just grabbed his phone off the floor from where it had fallen out his old trouser pocket, and started to head to school. He looked at the time. _Crap_. He'd missed half of first period which would cause some questions, but he was sure he could slip in mostly unnoticed.

As he walked out quietly, he looked at all the messages and voice mails he had from Kurt. He wished he'd been able to answer; he had wanted to hear his voice so badly. He was supposed to be sitting next to Kurt right now in French, one of two lessons they had together because of their ages. They were the two classes Blaine excelled in to be moved up. He would get there in time, school wasn't so far away no matter how slow he had to walk.

He read through some of the messages he'd gotten as he walked, and he knew that day was the day he told Kurt. He would go round his house, and tell him everything. If Kurt didn't question him about it first, which he would be judging by all these messages. He'd just walk into French like normal, regardless of his face or the way Kurt would definitely ask him why he was late. He just kept walking, wondering what the day would bring.

* * *

Kurt couldn't stop fidgeting in his seat. He knew French would be awkward, but it was even worse when Blaine didn't show up to school that morning. _Where is he? Is he okay? _He'd sent him an infinite amount of texts to ask him where he was but he'd had no reply. He was switching between checking his phone, moving to a different position and staring at the empty seat beside him. _Please show up please show up please show up. _

Lesson was almost over when he heard the door creak open. His head shot up and he was instantly relieved. Blaine walked in and Kurt nearly shouted his name, but managed to stop himself just in time. His eyes were glued to Blaine, as his boyfriend silently looked at his teacher with an apologetic look on his face. The older teacher shot him a concerned look, almost of worry, and Kurt didn't know why. Blaine nodded at her.

He turned to his seat and Kurt helped in surprise. Mercedes, who was sat beside him, looked round from her conversation with a boy who was also in their class, and joined Kurt with a gasp of shock. They were both staring at the deep purple bruise that was sitting on his face. They both knew Blaine only had boxing once a month and that was on Wednesdays, so where had this giant imperfection come from?

Blaine gulped and avoided looking at them both as he made his way to his seat. He sat down and looked at the French worksheet that had been given out regardless of his absence. Kurt was amazed at how he just took a pen from his pocket and got on with it. He and Mercedes were still staring when Blaine looked up. "What?" he said, looking more at Mercedes than Kurt.

"What happened to your face, Blaine?" Kurt hissed, sounding panicked. Mercedes nodded, staring at the side of his face like it was performing a play. "Um," Blaine started, his voice shaky. Kurt knew Blaine wasn't very good at lying. As far as he knew he didn't do it very much, and lying about how you were hurt would be harder to do. "Some homophobe guy was joking around on the way to school and accidentally hit me...that's why I was late." He said it quickly, and the last bit sounded like he'd miraculously invented something.

Kurt could see right through him, but Mercedes couldn't. "You should go to Figgins, that doesn't look like it was an accident." she said. Her voice sounded like she genuinely cared about him. "Feel better!" She added before turning back around to keep talking to that boy. Kurt raised an eyebrow at his boyfriend. Blaine hunched over, and shit him a look that said 'not now'. Kurt eyed him one last time before returning to his work. There were only five minutes left of the lesson anyway. He'd know soon enough.

* * *

The lesson ended, and Kurt grabbed his bag off the floor before standing next to Blaine's desk. His boyfriend stood up, and Kurt noted that he didn't have a bag with him. He must have forgotten it. They didn't say a word to each other until out of the classroom.

"What really happened?" He blurted out. His gaze was strong on Blaine and obviously making him nervous. He shuffled as he said "I told you what happened." Kurt wasn't buying it. He noticed a tiny scar on Blaine's eyebrow, and then realised that was only part of it. The corridor was almost empty, so Kurt reached a hand under Blaine's long bit of hair to reveal a large scar snaking along his forehead. Kurt gasped and pulled his arm away.

Blaine was looking down. He went to walk away, but Kurt grabbed him by the wrist. He flinched, but Kurt just pulled him close again. "Blaine," he said. "WHO did this to you? Don't say it was an accident because I know when you're lying." Kurt knew this wasn't accidental. Someone had obviously wanted to do this to Blaine, and he needed to know why.

Blaine was still looking at the floor with his mouth slightly open like he wanted to say something. There was no one in the corridor, so Kurt held the uninjured part of Blaine's face with his hand and gently sweeped his thumb across his cheek. His eyes never left Blaine's, and soon enough he tilted his head to look in his eyes. He stuttered some barely audible noises. His eyes became shiny like he was going to cry and the fear and terror returned to his face. Kurt was scared himself, but he hoped it didn't show on his face.

Blaine took a deep breath and opened his mouth further. He shut his eyes. He started to talk, but barely got out the "It" before a familiar loud voice was heard at the other end of the corridor. Kurt snatched his hand away from Blaine's face.

"Hey Kurt!" Mr Schuester called. He half jogged over to the two boys; he obviously had something to say. Kurt didn't want to listen to his glee club teacher. He wanted to keep talking Blaine. He turned around to face him; he didn't want to be rude. "Just a quick message- there's no glee this week, I'm busy sorting out the costumes for sectionals. I'm going with your design, I think it will be good stage." He said it quickly, and continued to walk past him before adding "And get to class, Kurt!" over his shoulder.

Kurt just stood there. He hadn't turned around to watch Mr. Schue leave, he was expecting him to stop for a conversation, but he was glad he hadn't. He shrugged internally before turning back around to face his boyfriend. And he was confused. The corridor was empty, he was standing there on his own. Blaine must have run as soon as he heard Mr Schue's voice, and why he'd only greeted him.

He growled lightly. He was just getting somewhere. Damn that Mr Schue. The only question was where had he gone? There wasn't anywhere to hide, it was like he'd all of a sudden vanished into thin air. He peered down the corridor, and spun around in a circle. He couldn't have gone far but he didn't know where to start.

He took a few steps forward, the only sound now was his shoes clicking on the floor. He could see into the classrooms, but Blaine wouldn't be any of them as his class was around the other side of school. The only things near enough for Blaine to disappear in we're the janitors closet, which was locked, and the Language corridor toilets, but no one went in there because of how old they were.

_Wait a second_, Kurt thought, _no one ever went there...? _Kurt walked towards the door and pushed it open. He poked his head in first to see Blaine sitting in the corner of the room. He was breathing deeply and his head was staring at his lap so he hadn't heard Kurt walk in. He was counting something on his fingers and was mumbling under his breath, but Kurt couldn't make out any words. It just sounded like noise.

Kurt already knew better than to surprise him, so he stepped inside and cleared his throat. Blaine didn't hear him. He did it louder and Blaine snapped his head up. His legs kicked back but he was sitting in the corner so he couldn't get any further back. Kurt was going to treat him exactly like he would a little kitten. Not a bit. Completely.

He walked a few steps forward. Blaine was staring at him. "Didn't see you leave. Are you okay?" Kurt asked in a sweet voice. Blaine said nothing. Kurt kept taking small steps forward until he was right up near him. He sat down next to Blaine at the wall. He took his hand before Blaine could run away again. They sat there in silence.

"No..." Blaine said in a small voice. Kurt was confused. "I'm not okay..." He said afterwards. He dragged his legs up to his chest and put his head on his knees. Kurt didn't know what to do. He didn't seem to be crying, but this was still unfamiliar to him. He'd never been like this, he'd always been a cool, confident young man. Kurt rubbed his back slowly. He could feel Blaine shaking under his hands.

"You can tell me whatever it is that's wrong, you know that right?" Kurt almost whispered. He heard Blaine sigh, and he lifted his head. "I want to tell you...show you." he murmured quietly. He sounded like he was about to break. Kurt grabbed Blaine's chin and kissed him gently on the lips. He wanted to show him how much he loved him. He could feel Blaine slowly slipping away and he wanted to bring him back.

"You're allowed to be sad, be hurt. You can tell me, but you don't have to. But if I can help, please let me. I love you and I don't want to see you be sad." Kurt said after he broke the kiss. Blaine looked like he was fighting not to cry. Kurt felt like he was going to cry himself. He didn't want to see him like this; he had meant what he said. He'd do anything to help.

"...Okay." Blaine whispered. "I'll show you..." He slowly got to his feet. He didn't look into Kurt's eyes, but he wouldn't let go of his hand either. He broke the bond and walked into a cubicle, locking the door behind him. Kurt was terrified. He didn't know what to expect at all and he wasn't good at surprises. He just wrung his hands together.

"Can I ask you something, Kurt?" Blaine's shaky voice said from behind the door of the toilet. Kurt nodded, but then realised he couldn't see him. "Of course you can, ask away." He said, genuinely meaning it. He'd tell Blaine anything to get him out of feeling that way.

"Do...do you really love me?"

Kurt was stunned and immediately got up off the floor. Of course he loved Blaine. There was no questioning it and there was nothing he wouldn't do to prove it. "Of course! I love you more than anything! Why would you even ask me that?" He sounded shrill and panicked but he didn't care. Am I a bad boyfriend that he really doesn't know?

"I just...no one knows what I'm gonna tell you. I trust you, but if you don't love me this could be too much for you. I don't want you to leave me." Kurt was gob smacked. Whatever was under that shirt could never keep him from Blaine. Nothing could. He was his first love and he certainly wanted him to be his first.

"Dont you remember? I'm never saying goodbye to you." That was something he was sure of. He was pretty sure Blaine was nodding. He heard the soft rustling of Blaine taking off his long sleeved shirt and the whumph of it landing on the floor. Kurt grimaced, the floor was so dirty in there be was surprised he'd managed to sit on the floor earlier.

It was a few seconds until the lock clicked open. The door stayed shut. He wasn't going to rush him or say anything. This was going at Blaine's speed. He also realised that this would be the first time he'd see Blaine shirtless and he was ashamed to say he was a little excited. The door opened slowly, until Kurt could see all of Blaine. He wanted to cry at the sight.

First of all, Blaine was far skinnier than he'd first expected. He could see all of his ribs and his stomach was unhealthily flat. It looked like he hadn't had a proper meal in years. More noticeably though was the colour of his body. His body should have been the lovely olive shade his face was, but Kurt could hardly see a patch of skin coloured flesh. There were black bruises, purple bruises, yellow ones and blueish ones everywhere. He had big and small sections of scrapes all up his arms and chest, and long thin cuts everywhere. It looked more painful than anything Kurt had seen before, and he hadn't seen his back or legs.

He stood frozen with pain. He had so many questions, but he couldn't form any of them into words. Blaine could feel the staring on him so he crossed his arms over his chest. Kurt reached his arms out but he didn't want to touch Blaine in case he hurt him. "How..." was all he could form. Blaine had tear in his eyes. He obviously loathed his own body. "Who did this to you, Blaine?" He asked. Blaine deflated even more and crossed his arms tighter.

"Tell me who did this or I swear to God I'll slap you." Blaine's eyes widened and he jumped backwards. Kurt regretted his choice instantly. He needed to choose his words more carefully. He knew how hard it was for Blaine to show him this, and he was threatening him.

"No, I didn't mean it! Please just tell me Blaine." He tried to sound as calm as he could be inside he was in hysterics. Blaine looked up with watery eyes. He was close to breaking down again and Kurt didn't blame him. "My dad..." he whispered

"YOUR DAD?" Kurt shouted. Everything made sense in his head. He knew why Blaine wouldn't kiss him outside his house, why Kurt had never been allowed in, why he didn't want to have their first time. Why he couldn't come out the bathroom without his shirt and why he looked so terrified when Kurt tries to sneak a peek. He's abused, Blaine is abused by his dad and I didn't know this whole time.

"Blaine you have to tell the police. You can stay with me, I'm not letting you go back." Kurt said strongly. Surprisingly he looked even worse at this idea. "Kurt you can't tell anyone about this. Promise me." Blaine told him. His tears were gone but he still looked just as afraid. Kurt didn't want that, he wanted Blaine out of that house as soon as he could.

"No Blaine, you need to get away from him. Please, for me." He was literally begging him. He wanted him to safe, he loved him and he hated himself for letting it go on before he knew. He couldn't let it happen while he knew. "You can't ask that of me Kurt, I don't want everyone to know. Yeah I want it to stop but I don't want to tell the police. Please don't make me." It was his turn to beg.

"No Blaine. Look at yourself, what he's done to you. You can't go home. I don't know how long this has been happening but i don't want it happen any longer." Blaine's face changed. It was angry. He turned around, Kurt hated that his back was in the same condition as his front, and grabbed his shirt off the floor before putting it on again.

"You know what? I'm tired of people deciding what my life will be like. Maybe I don't want to tell. You found something out five minutes ago and now you have an expert opinion on it? No. I've had this my whole life and It's only one more year after this year until I can get the hell out of there so I don't need to go running to the police. I'm going home." That was all he said before he walked out the door.

_Home. Can he even call it that?_ Kurt thought. He was overwhelmed with information. This was something he least expected. He knew he could only do one thing. He would have to follow Blaine home and enter through that mysterious front door. He grabbed his bag off the floor and walked out the door to his car.

_Blaine was abused. Blaine was abused by his own father. _


	6. Chapter 6

**Howdy everyone! I'm so pleased at how many followers and reviews this story has, and I only hope that it will go up, and thank you! I've noticed how these keep getting longer, so I've seperated this chapter into two shorter ones. I promise things will get better for Blaine, but if it pans out how I want to it has to get worse first...sorry. Also someone asked me if I'll incorporate the singing element into the story and I know that the glee club will be in it at some point, I'm not sure about the singing but I think it will be. Sorry about how long it took to post this, but I've been horrendously ill and most of this chapter was written in my pyjamas (its what artistic genuis looks like). Thank you again and please folow and review! I looovvee you all! (And could someone explain what a beta is? I'm not sure...).**

**Disclaimer- I dont own glee, and sorry if the paragraphs are spaced funny.**

* * *

_Kurt knew. _

Blaine had charged straight out the doors of school. He didn't care that he was supposed to in lesson; he just needed to get out of there. He didn't know where he would go after crossing the parking lot, he just kept walking. His legs took him in the direction of home, so he followed himself there.

He was cursing himself the whole way there. How could he have been so stupid_? I just told Kurt, I told him the biggest secret I have. _He didn't know what made him do it. As he stood behind the cubicle door, he was shaking. He couldn't stop himself, he trusted Kurt whole heartedly at that moment. He only had one thought.

_Maybe it will all be okay. _

When he stepped out he was terrified of Kurt breaking up with up. If he knew the truth, would he still be able to love him? He could call him a freak, a disgusting piece of trash. He knew it was his father's voice talking from deep within, but it was still hard to silence. He knew it would come a shock as to Kurt, but the staring had still gotten to him. He didn't want to stared at. He wasn't one of those sideshow exhibits; he just wanted to feel normal.

But Kurt hadn't made fun of him. He hadn't cried, he hadn't shouted or thrown up at the site of him. He was worried. He wanted to help him, and for a minute Blaine thought it would all be okay. He felt a huge weight lift from off his chest. Kurt could make him feel better when he was down, he could look after him on the days he couldn't move from all the pain. He would be able to help him until he was able to get the Hell out of there.

But then it all came crashing down. He didn't know what to expect from Kurt, but he hadn't expected him to care so much as to call the police and ask him to live with him. That didn't seem like an option to him. Yes he hated his life at home, he hated his body and how he his father made him feel, but he didn't want to change his life so drastically. He understood why his boyfriend would say that, he loved him after all, but for him to have an expert opinion after just finding out really annoyed Blaine.

The one thought that had made him sick was that he didn't want his dad to go to prison. He knew he should want that, he should want him as far away from him as possible, but his father had subconsciously made Blaine believe he was the only person to stick around for him, even if he did hate his own son. Blaine didn't want to lose someone who'd been there his own life. He was the only one who had been, despite how wickedly he treated Blaine.

As he rounded the street corner, he realised Kurt was probably right. He couldn't stay there, he didn't know what his dad was capable of and there could be one bad night where anything could happen. He didn't want his dad to go to jail, but that didn't mean he had to stay there. He could stay round Kurt's more often; it wasn't like he had a lot to leave behind. He just hoped Kurt would still see him as his boyfriend, and not a vulnerable abused kid he had to help.

He stopped outside his front door. Hopefully, if he was quiet, he could slip in unnoticed and his dad would think he was still at school. He could have a while to himself, to think, to plan and to text Kurt. He didn't feel good about how he'd left things. He wasn't worried about how he would react to telling Kurt, maybe that's what he should have been planning.

He pushed the door open. His father was still on the couch, his eyes shut and breathing heavy. Blaine stood there for a second and wondered how different his life would be if his dad actually loved him. He stood there, letting the hate rise up in him, thinking about the man that made his life a misery. He knew he should get upstairs because he could wake up at any second. But he didn't care. He just stood there, staring at him. He very rarely got to look at him up close.

He stood there just thinking, before snapping out of his trance and heading up stairs, avoiding the three stairs that made a loud squeaking noise. He headed up to his bedroom and clicked the door behind him. He sat in the middle of his bed like he always did, and stared down at his hands. He was thinking about how his life was in the hands of his boyfriend. How he could do what he wanted with the information he knew. He just sat, hoping that what his dad had said was a lie. He hoped Kurt did still love him.

* * *

Kurt sat in his car. He was staring at Blaine's house. He'd been there before to shuttle his boyfriend around, but it was different this time. Before, it never looked particularly warming, but it still looked like a family home. Now it looked like a prison, a place where the man he loved had to stay. He didn't know if he was making the right choice being there, Blaine's dad was obviously a dangerous man and he didn't know if he was even in. He was way out of his depth.

But he refused to let Blaine be alone right now. His secret was so much bigger than he thought it would be, and he couldn't let him sit around and wonder if he did the right thing, because he had. Kurt opened the car door and walked up the driveway. When he reached the door, there was a deep sense of dread in the pit of his stomach. He just wanted to get Blaine and bring him home with him, and never let him go. Blaine didn't want that, Kurt was pretty clear on that fact now, but he still needed to be with him. Even if it was in this Hell house.

He'd had to walk past his classroom to get to the car park, and unfortunately his teacher had seen him. He'd been made to sit down at his desk for the last twenty minutes and given a detention, but he didn't care. He'd made as many excuses as he could just to get straight there, but he didn't have the best relationship with that teacher to start with. He sat there staring at the clock and hated how Blaine would have to sit by himself for twenty minutes, and Kurt didn't know if he'd even still be there after the end of class.

Kurt went to knock on the door, but he noticed it was slightly ajar. He felt like if he was in a movie, the audience would be shouting at him not to go in. But he couldn't hear them. He pushed the door open and walked inside as quietly as he could. He looked around for any sign of Blaine, or worse, his father. There was no one around that he could see. He headed up the stairs, assuming Blaine would be in his bedroom.

He was terrified. He didn't know how Blaine could possibly stay here day after day, even the house itself gave off an old, creepy vibe. Each time he stepped on a creaky step, three he counted, he froze. Even if Blaine's dad wasn't there, Blaine could hear them and freak out.

He reached the top and went left. All the doors to the right were open, and only one was shut. Blaine. He pushed it open without knocking, and saw Blaine sitting cross-legged on his bed. He looked so small, so weak. His back was hunched over, and his head was hung low so he hadn't seen Kurt yet.

Kurt looked around his room. It was almost empty, there was hardly anything in there. There were a few books stacked in the corner, next to another smaller stack of DVDs. There was a bedside table, but nothing was on it. There was a small wardrobe against the wall but it had no doors, so Kurt could see the small collection of clothes Blaine had. He had some sheet music from glee club at the end of his bed next to his school bag, and a guitar that was poking out from under the bed.

That was it.

Kurt shut the bedroom door behind him, and it made a small click. Blaine's head shot up at the noise, and backed away slightly. His eyes were possessed by fear. He stared at Kurt for a second. "...Kurt?" he asked in a small voice, and standing up from where he had been sitting down.

Kurt walked over quite quickly and wrapped his arms around Blaine's shoulders for a hug. He resisted for a moment, not expecting the affection, but then loosened and wrapped his arms around Kurt's middle before burying his head into Kurt.

He had no idea if he was hurting his boyfriend with how tight he held on, but he just stayed like that. He never wanted to let go. Blaine pulled away and smiled at Kurt lightly. Kurt gave one back. They both sat down on the edge of the bed, and Kurt gripped Blaine's hand tightly.

"What are you doing here?" Blaine asked quietly, still looking panicked. "I couldn't just let you run off, I wanted to be with you." Kurt said quietly. He rubbed Blaine's back, and he looked surprised.

"Why do you want to be with me?" He asked. He wouldn't look at Kurt; he kept his eyes fixed on the floor. Kurt hated how low his self-esteem was. "Because I love you more than anything, and I know how hard It must have been to tell me. I didn't want you to be alone."

Blaine rested his head on Kurt's shoulder. They sat there for a few minutes before Blaine jerked away. The fear had returned to his eyes. "You have to go. My dad can't find you in here." Kurt shook his head. He hadn't seen his father when he came in, so he didn't think he was there.

"I don't think your dad is here Blaine." he whispered and stroked his hair to comfort him. He didn't want him to panic. "You...he wasn't on the couch when you walked in?" Blaine sounded even more panicked, and jumped off the bed to the door.

Kurt was instantly terrified. He shook his head at Blaine. He hadn't seen him when he walked in, and if he wasn't where he had been moments before Kurt arrived, he could heading their way at that very moment. Blaine pressed his ear to the door for a second to listen, and for a minute both boys were silent. Kurt didn't dare to even draw a breathe.

Quick as a flash, Blaine jumped away from the door and grabbed his boyfriends hands. He pulled him off the bed quickly and led toward the door that led to the bathroom attached to Blaine's bedroom. "Stay here, okay? Don't come out unless I come get you." Blaine ordered, his voice sure of the decision.

Kurt just nodded. He didn't want to be in there, he wanted to go home. He was pretty sure about what was happening. Blaine's father was coming. He felt sick, he knew what he would do to Blaine and be didn't want to hear it. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to stay silent through it all.

Blaine locked his eyes to Kurt's, and smiled. "Don't worry. You'll be fine. Just stay here" was all he said before closing the door behind him and returning to his room. Kurt sunk to the floor. "But what about you..." he whispered to himself. Just then he heard Blaine's bedroom door slam open, and he covered his mouth to silence a sob. It was starting.

* * *

Kurt had tears dripping down his face. He'd heard angry shouts from the man he knew to be Blaine's dad. He'd heard slams of fists and noises of Blaine's body being damaged even more than it already was. And worst of all, he'd heard Blaine cry out in pain and there was nothing he could do to help him.

But then he'd heard the door slam shut, and everything was silent. He remembered what Blaine had said, don't come out until I come and get you, but what if he was in too much pain to come and get him out of there? It sounded like the bedroom was empty. He was pretty sure he could hear Blaine breathing loudly, but that was unlikely.

He stood up and wiped his eyes, he didn't want to upset Blaine by him knowing he was crying. He opened the door a fraction to check, and he couldn't see anyone, not even Blaine. He walked out quietly and could see the top of Blaine's head from the other side of the door from where he was slumped on the floor.

He ran over and kneeled in front of him. His eyes were shut and he was breathing heavily like Kurt had thought. His hands were pressed down on his stomach to relieve pain. His legs were drawn up to his chest and his back and head were leaning on the wall behind him. "Blaine? Blaine, are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Blaine shook his head and let his eyes flutter open. Kurt had his hands on Blaine's knees and rubbed them in what he thought would be soothing. "I'm fine, but I told you not to come out." His voice sounded wheezy, and by the way he was sitting Kurt guessed he had punched in the stomach. He was amazed that even when he was in pain, he was worried more about his boyfriend than himself.

"Well he's gone and I needed to see if you were okay." He kept his voice low so he wouldn't come back. "You need to get out of here, even just for a bit. Come with me please." He was literally begging on his knees. Kurt knew he wouldn't be able to sleep if he knew Blaine was here while he was safe at home.

Blaine shook his head. "He'll know I'm gone. You need to get out; it's not that hard to go out my window. I'll...I'll see you at school tomorrow." His voice was sounding stronger by the second and Kurt could tell this wasn't out of the ordinary for him. He'd done all this before and couldn't see it any other way.

"I can't leave you here, please just come with me back to school. I love you and can't leave you here knowing you'll get hurt." Kurt felt like he was going to cry, he didn't want to be away from him. Blaine drew in a deep breath, he knew what to say.

"The rest of the day, he'll come in and check I'm still here. If I am, he'll just go about getting drunk like he always does. If I leave, it'll be worse when I actually get home. If he comes in and finds you here, then I don't know what he'll do. To either of us. So I promise you wholeheartedly that I'm going to be just fine, and when we get to school tomorrow I'll tell you everything you want to know. Just get out of here now before you get hurt."

That was it for Kurt. Tears started rolling down his eyes and he rocked forward until his forehead hit Blaine in the chest. Kurt couldn't help feeling like the past three days had been filled with mostly crying, and he just wanted it to stop. Blaine rubbed his back softly; he had no concern for the pain he was in. He wanted Kurt to feel better, and he hated seeing his beautiful face cry.

Kurt could hear Blaine shushing him, and he knew he meant it. He needed to be quiet and the sound of crying would only make his dad come and investigate more. He detached himself from his boyfriend and settled himself before kissing Blaine. Hard. He didn't want to leave but he had no option. This was to prove he loved him, and would always be there with him.

Kurt drew back and looked deep in his eyes before whispering "I love you" quietly. Blaine gave a small smile before whispering it back. Kurt got up and left his boyfriend slouched against the back wall. He pulled the window open and peered out. Blaine had been right, it didn't look difficult to get down. He looked at Blaine one last time before descending down the out sticking bricks and heading to car.

He knew one thing: he was so not going back to school. He didn't care about English or math or science, he wanted to find a way to help Blaine any way he could. At that moment he felt completely hopeless, and he didn't want that. Kurt liked to be in control and he wasn't going to lose that. He would find a way to get Blaine out of there even if it killed him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey again! Thank you to everyone for sticking around to read this, I never thought I'd have this many followers especially for my first fic, so its totally awaesome. So its been a week and I'm going to give you this, I hope you like it and sorry its taken a while, my dad drove me to Scotland and there was no internet. But anyways here it is. **

**Question involving next chapter- Something big is going to happen soon, and it can either be next chapter ooorrr I can update next chapter as a sort of little chapter that I've sort of been toying around with...? Let me know xx Please review because they make me hhaaappyyy.**

**Diclaimer- I dont own glee**

* * *

Blaine had been right in what he told Kurt. His dad had come back to check on him just ten minutes after Kurt had left, and he was instantly glad of his decision. He hadn't done anything, he just peered in the doorway and continued his journey down the hallway, but Blaine didn't know what had happened if Kurt had been in the room.

Nothing had happened the rest of the night. His father had either been too drunk or too 'busy' to go and beat Blaine again. He had stepped in once again before passing out in the hallway. Blaine hated how much he cared about his dad. After he'd collapsed in the hallway from the alcohol in his system he'd placed a pillow under his head and draped a blanket over him to keep him warm. He would have dragged him into his room like he used to, but he wasn't strong enough to do it. He'd been worn down so he left him in the middle of the hallway.

He went back into his room and shut the door. He just wanted to go to bed. He knew tomorrow would be taxing, but he wanted it to be. That day hadn't been good for him or for Kurt, in fact that was probably the worst thing that could have happened. He didn't want to upset Kurt or make him have to see what he did. He'd made a stupid mistake going back home.

Kurt had been texting and calling the whole day to ask if he was okay. Blaine was grateful that someone cared so much, but he hated that Kurt had to worry about him. He shuffled under the covers and laid down. His body might have been resting, but his head wasn't. He was trying to remember the things about his life he needed to tell Kurt, but everything seemed to blur together.

_When did my mother leave? Why did this start in the first place? When did Cooper finally have enough and leave? How hurt did I get at the Sadie Hawkins dance?_

It was all vital information for him and his boyfriend so he needed to figure it out then. Kurt had already seen him fall apart to many times do he wanted to get all his facts right. When he thought about it, he couldn't remember it ever being any different to what it was. He'd always been, always been beaten, shouted at, blamed. His mother and Cooper had helped, but his dad was a powerful man.

But it had always been him. Never Cooper. He was the golden child, but it was like Blaine was born to be disliked, and he was serving that perfectly. He just hoped his boyfriend would still see him as he had before. Blaine was trying to see the man he had been to Kurt, and he was easy to recognise. It wasn't like Blaine had ever lied to Kurt, he'd just stretched the truth a little.

_"I didn't get beaten up that bad at Sadie Hawkins"_

_"My mom's away on business" _

_"I'll keep my sweater on, I'm really cold"_

_"Im not hungry, I don't really eat lunch" _

_"My bedrooms being repainted so you can't come in"_

Who was he kidding. He was a liar. He'd been lying to the best thing in his life for as long as he knew him. He found it strange that he knew every little element that was Kurt Hummel, but Kurt didn't know much about Blaine's life. Sure he knew the little things and he knew his personality inside out, but at home he had no idea. And it couldn't really be called a little secret. Blaine had body blocked the truth as long as he could, but now it was time to stand aside.

He let his eyes flutter shut and tried to ignore the rumbling in his stomach. He squeezed his arms around his middle to try and squish his huger back down. He knew Kurt would practically force feed him lunch tomorrow and he had no problem with it, he was starving. He tried to think of the last time he had a proper meal so he'd be prepared if Kurt asked, and the honest answer was when Kurt had cooked for him on Saturday evening. He'd managed to sneak a few snacks from the kitchen, but meals were rare.

He rolled over again and focused on sleep. He was going to need it.

* * *

Kurt arrived at school ridiculously early. He'd been up all night torturing himself by googling things like domestic violence and long term effects of beatings. None of them had helped him, they just made him feel so much worse. He wasn't quite sure what he'd been looking for, but whatever it was he didn't find it.

He didn't give Blaine a ride mostly because there was no way he'd be ready at that time. He didn't even know if he would be awake, or even worse, conscious. He planned to just walk around school or sit in the choir room because it always made him feel better. It was one of the reasons he was at school so early. The other was that he just couldn't sleep knowing Blaine could get hurt at any moment.

He reached his locker to get out some things to do while he sat in the choir room, when he saw a pink post-it note stuck right in the middle of it. He'd been opening his locker when he noticed, so it fluttered slowly to the ground. Kurt didn't want to pick it up because he was always scared of practical jokes. He realised it was probably too early for any of the idiots to know their own name, so he bent down and read it.

"Meet me in the library whenever you get here, I need to talk to you before class - Blaine xx"

Kurt would've known who it was from even if he hadn't signed it. His handwriting didn't look rushed or frantic, and he giggled at the little drawings he'd done around the borders of the paper. It amazed him that even with everything he had going on, he still wanted to make him laugh. Blaine seemed the same but so much different all at the same time.

He pushed the library doors open after almost galloping there but couldn't see Blaine where he usually sat. He looked around for him and his curiosity grew because he still had no idea what Blaine wanted. He walked up and down the book shelves and spied Blaine through a gap between two books. He was sitting in a secluded corner with no one around, and Kurt wondered if he wanted more privacy during this.

Blaine was sitting in front of a chair instead of on one with his legs crossed. He was staring down at his lap like he had been in the bathroom the day before. He didn't look scared or anxious, he just looked neutral. The bruise on his face had darkened in its healing process, and Blaine had once again stretched a bit of hair to cover his scar on his forehead. Kurt looked at his long sleeved sweater and felt sick at what was underneath. Every bruise, scar and scrape was just another knock to who he was, and Kurt felt strange knowing what was there.

"Hey" Kurt said as he dropped his bag on the floor and sat down in the opposite chair. "Why are you sitting in the floor?" Blaine looked up in surprise, and answered the question Kurt had asked him before he could greet him back. "I just like the floor better. I can't cross my legs on a chair and that's how I wanted to sit."

Kurt nodded and smiled. He held the pink post-it note up that had been on his locker. "I got your message. What's up?" Blaine sank down ad shut his eyes briefly before answering. "Look, yesterday wasn't a great day...for either of us. And I wanted to use the time we'd have before class to answer any questions you have."

"How did you know I'd be at school early?" Kurt asked as he slid down the chair to sit on the floor with his boyfriend. He was right- it was comfier. Blaine smiled. "Yesterday made you feel sad, yes?" Kurt nodded. "So I knew you'd go sit in the choir room."

Kurt couldn't help but break into a grin. Blaine knew him so well, but now it was his turn to learn more. He made his face look more serious. "You'll answer anything? Truthfully?" Blaine nodded. Kurt was amazed. Only two days before Blaine had ran out of his house due to fear and there he was, ready to answer anything. "You don't have to if you don't want to. I know this type of thing is...hard."

Blaine shook his head. "I want you to know everything. I love you and I trust you, so I don't see why not. Just tell me where to start." His words may have seemed confidence, but his voice was shaking in a way that made Kurt feel like he was treading on very thin ice. The longer they sat there the more Blaine would doubt that he wanted to do this.

"Start from the beginning. The earliest thing you know and we'll go from there." Kurt couldn't help but want to know every little detail of Blaine's life, and it would easier to do it all in one go than to stretch everything out. Blaine nodded and let out a small 'okay' before composing himself a bit.

"...My parents were never, let's say, right for each other. My mom wasn't poor, but my dad was way richer than she ever was. They went on a couple of dates but neither of them thought anything of it. But then my mom got pregnant, with Cooper, and he insisted that they get married. It was messy and rushed because my dad was stupid enough to think children shouldn't be born out of wedlock."

Kurt cringed. Just that small portion of information gave him a lot of insight. Rushed marriages were always bad, and it didn't sound like his parents even love each other. He felt like the story would get much worse.

"My mom had Cooper, and they were all actually quite happy. They had a son and learnt to live with each other as husband and wife." Blaine swallowed and readjusted himself. The next part didn't sound like it would be nice. "But then, eight years later, my mom got pregnant again. With me." He seemed shaky and unsure of what to say.

"I've never known why, but from the beginning my dad wanted nothing to do with me. He tried to get my mom to have an abortion, but she didn't, well doesn't, believe in it. I was born and my mom loved me, but my dad just didn't want to know. He'd never spend time with me, teach me anything." Kurt realised something. He'd never heard or even thought of the possibility of Blaine's mother. He had no idea where she was or even if she was still alive. But he felt the hate boil up in him at Blaine's father. The most frustrating thing he could think of was that he had no idea why his father hated him so much.

"I was a toddler when things really started. He'd drive me out to places and try an leave me there, he'd push me around, he'd...hit me." Blaine's face screwed up at the words like they tasted disgusting on his tongue. "My mom and Cooper would try to protect me, but that just made him dislike them. He didn't hate them as much as he hated me though."

"It got worse as I grew up. He hurt me more, give me less food to eat because he told me constantly I was fat. But I was just a kid, and I didn't know what I did wrong. I'd try talking to him, but it made it much worse. It was happening to me but I was the only one that didn't understand. Cooper did, and he left when he was sixteen. My mom gave him some money to get out of there and he just vanished. I haven't seen him since."

Kurt always knew Blaine had an older brother, and he hadn't thought of him before. Why hadn't he tried to contact him all this time? According to Blaine he knew what was happening, so why wouldn't he protect his little brother? _Cooper would be 25 now,_ Kurt thought, _that's old enough._

"I was eight when he left. He didn't say goodbye, he just...left me and my mom alone with that man." His voice broke, and it was clear to Kurt he hadn't thought about Cooper in a very long time. He shifted closer to him on the floor and rubbed the back of his hand and have him a smile to let him know it was okay. He took a deep breath and carried on.

"He started to drink. He wouldn't let me go out of the house except for school, and when I was in he would just...hurt me. I don't...I was just a kid. My mom tried, she really did, but it didn't take much to wear her down. He would hit her, only sometimes, when he was drunk or I just couldn't take anymore and he still had more to let out. She left when I was twelve. She gave me a phone to keep in touch with her, but I've never used it to talk to her."

Kurt felt like he wanted to cry. He'd lost his own mother when he was eight, but in some ways Blaine's was worse. Kurt knew she was never coming back and had learnt to accept it, but Blaine's mom was still out there somewhere. He wondered how he could still sleep at night knowing she could miss him or that she was searching for him.

Blaine looked miserable. It just seemed like everyone was leaving all the time. Kurt rubbed him on the back, he knew he always like that when he was sad. He managed a weak smile up at him, but didn't look like he was saying anymore. "Why didn't your mom just take you with her?" he asked. It was only logical for her take her beaten son away from the parent that hated him, right?

Blaine just shook his head and quietly said "I really don't know. I have no idea where she went." Kurt hated this. Blaine's whole life seemed like a big pile of questions, pain and desertion. "It only got worse when she left," he went on, obviously determined to finish the story. "He blamed me for it and said he wished I had left instead, that if I left, Cooper and my mom would come back and they would..." he paused. He had sounded like he was quoting his father's exact words, and it broke Kurt's heart. "They would be the happy family they were before I ruined it."

Kurt let his mouth drop, but only for a second. Blaine seemed sad, but not as much as Kurt would be. If his dad ever said that to him he doubted he would ever stop crying. "Are you okay? Do you wanna stop for a bit?" Kurt asked. He wanted to hear the rest, but Blaine really looked like he needed a break. He shook his head and took another deep breath. "I'm fine." was all he said before diving back into his memories.

"There was hardly a day where my dad didn't drink some form of alcohol, which just made it worse. It was around this time that I figured out I was gay, but I didn't tell him that. He isn't an accepting person, and if he already hated me it would only get worse." Kurt thought back to how he thought children shouldn't be born out of wedlock and didn't blame Blaine for his decision. "It wasn't a bad as it is now. He still bought food that I could eat a few times a week and I didn't have to wear short sleeves, but I was younger so it felt like hell."

"When I was fourteen, my school had the Sadie Hawkins dance." his voice trembled at the memory. _It was just a couple of punches Kurt,_ he remembered Blaine saying_, it wasn't really that bad_. "I remember you telling me about it." He thought this might save Blaine having to talk about that part, but from the look on his boyfriends face he doubted that was the case. "It was really bad, wasn't it?"

Blaine nodded.

"Me and my friend went together. We were the only gay kids at my school, so neither of us had a date. We went together, as friends nothing else, but that didn't stop people from jumping to conclusions. Two gay kids go to a dance together they're bound to be dating or trying to turn everyone, right?" He laughed weakly and shook his head. "We were waiting for a ride home when some older guys cornered us."

"What exactly did they do to you?" Kurt wasn't sure he wanted to know. He'd been slushied and pushed into lockers because of his sexuality but nothing drastically bad had happened. "I...I ended up in the hospital." Kurt gasped but he could tell it was only the start. Blaine shut his eyes to remember better.

"They hit Steven on the head and he was unconscious, but it didn't work on me. I don't know why it didn't, maybe I'm just used to it or something I don't know but, it made them...mad I guess and they just wouldn't stop. Steven's dad found us. He was fine, just a concussion, but he took me to the hospital and I had to stay there for two months."

"I had some broken ribs, and my head was pretty bad. Luckily they thought all my bruises and cuts were all from the attack and not my dad." Kurt was fighting not to cry. He hated that the boy he loved had been traumatised so much he was surprised he was the amazing person he was. "When I woke up I had to give them my parents number because Steven didn't know it. I gave him my mom's number, but I don't know if she cared or even picked up the phone. So...they had to call my dad."

"I was surprised when he came to see me. He had to pay my medical bills and act like he cared around other people so they wouldn't suspect anything, not that they did. But...they told him why I was beat up. That I was with another boy." Blaine was talking slower and slower as it went on, like recent memories were more painful and harder to say.

"He asked me if I was gay and I said yes. I'd already learnt he can tell when I lie." Kurt just wished Blaine could have a dad like his, one that loved him and cared for him and supported who he was. "He hated it. As soon as I got home he just...let loose, which he really shouldn't have since I just got out the hospital and everything. He sent me to Dalton because he didn't want me to live there anymore. For two years or so, not counting the holidays, I was fine. I joined the Warblers, I healed up a bit and made friends."

Kurt felt sick. Blaine had moved for him. He hadn't submitted himself to that torture just for him had he? "Then I met you." He said faintly "Oh my God" Kurt whispered under his breath. He couldn't believe it. "We were friends and then we got together, you know how it goes. But somehow my dad found out I had a boyfriend. I don't...I don't know how exactly he did it, but he knew and wouldn't let me stay at Dalton anymore if my boyfriend was there, and he moved me to McKinley. He didn't know you were enrolled here at the time."

Kurt exhaled deeply. He was so relieved that even though Blaine still had to live there, he was glad he wasn't doing it for him. "Does he know now?" Kurt asked. Blaine nodded. "That's basically it, though. He's drunk most of the time, he won't buy any food for me to eat and what you saw yesterday is just...that's just every day."

Blaine's head was hung low and he wouldn't look at Kurt. He could tell his boyfriend was so ashamed of himself. "Blaine, when was the last time you had something to eat?" He was going to buy Blaine lunch that day at any cost, but he was still curious. "I don't know. What day did I stay round your house? Saturday, I think." He said it as if it was normal, and it probably was.

"BLAINE!" Kurt said it loudly and the few other people that were in the library looked up to see what was going on. Blaine looked up with a guilty expression. "You can come to my house for dinner, I wish you'd have told me sooner. You must be starving." He fished around in his big until he found a largish cereal bar and held it out to Blaine. He looked at it in shock.

"You...really? You still wanna be with me after I've told you all that? You don't...think I'm..." Blaine had tears in his eyes and Kurt hated it. He'd been foolish to think Blaine would just be able to tell him with no strings attached. It was difficult. He may have been able to tell Kurt, but he needed something to tell him it would be okay, that Kurt would still love him. That was why he hadn't told him before, out of fear, and now he'd told it was still there.

Kurt pulled him in for a hug and held him tight. Blaine nuzzled into his shoulder and held on like his life depended on it. Kurt didn't want him to start crying. He wouldn't blame him if he did, but he didn't want him to be sad. Also there were more people in the library, and being made fun of was the last thing he needed.

Kurt was still rubbing his back when he pulled away gently. "Sorry" he muttered and looked back down at the floor. "Hey," Kurt said "I will always want to be with you. You could have told me anything at all and it wouldn't matter because I love you, and we're never saying goodbye."

His voice was so sweet and reassuring that Blaine couldn't help but smile. "Come one, we'll go to the choir room. And you'll come to dinner tonight?" Blaine was going to ask if Burt would be okay with it, but he just nodded. Kurt's dad was always so nice, and he was starving.

The walked to the choir room close to one another, and Blaine was grateful he had someone like Kurt. He loved him with all his heart, and a warm dinner around Kurt's would help him out. He just wasn't sure how all of this truth telling would end...he just hoped it wouldn't be like last time...


	8. Chapter 8

**So this was supposed to be a small mini chapter to give you something to read while I have science exams this week, but it kind of got a bit longer than I planned. Thank you again for all the follows, favourites and reviews, you're all amazing! See you next Monday for the most exciting chapter yet, eventwise!**

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Kurt unlocked his front door and the two boys walked through. Blaine had tried to make the rest of that day as normal as he could, but it didn't go unnoticed by him the way that Kurt handled him the whole school day. He walked him to all his classes even if it made him late to his own, he didn't talk about glee at all even if they didn't have it for the week; he wasn't as talkative as he normally was.

It made Blaine feel so self-conscious of himself, and he wasn't sure if he made the right decision telling Kurt. Of course he knew, but he didn't have to know all the details that Blaine said. Blaine didn't know if he even wanted to stay at Kurt's for dinner anymore in case it was awkward for him.

The boys walked to Kurt's bedroom like they always did, but this time in silence. Blaine fiddled with his sleeve the whole time. He didn't know what to say, what he was allowed to say. Kurt sighed as they reached his bedroom and put his bag down where he normally would. Blaine sat down on the bed like he normally would. Everything seemed the same from the outside, but on the inside it was so different.

"Wanna watch a movie?" Kurt said, breaking the silence. "I've got some new ones since you were last round..." He trailed off to stare at his extensive DVD collection. That's where it became a weird area. Normally, both of them would be sat on the floor, chatting and laughing while making arguments about which film to watch.

Apparently Kurt felt it too and tuned around to look at his boyfriend who was sitting cross legged in the middle of the bed. He recognised the way he looked from when he visited his bedroom, uninvited, and Kurt guessed it was just how he sat when he was scared or uncomfortable. He'd heard about people having those types of things.

"Blaine...are you okay?" He asked it loudly to make sure he heard it. His boyfriend looked so deep in thought he didn't know if he could pull him out through the power of voice alone. Blaine sat there and didn't move or speak, but simply shook his head. His face didn't change at all and it unnerved Kurt to no end.

He sat down in the middle of the bed with him and placed a hand on his back. Kurt didn't know how to deal with situations like this but he just hoped Blaine wouldn't notice. "What's wrong?" He used his softest tone and wondered if he would answer him at all. He still didn't move but it didn't stop him from answering in a deep, gravelly voice.

"Everything's different now."

The silence cut through the room. Kurt had absolutely no idea how to answer that, but it wasn't like he didn't know what he was talking about. He couldn't help doing things differently around Blaine that day. He was scared he'd hurt him or offend him, even though he knew he wouldn't. All Blaine wanted was to be treated like he had before, and if seven hours was able to make that much difference he wasn't sure how he'd be able to help.

"I don't know what you mean"

He lied. He knew he had. But maybe Blaine wasn't talking about that. Maybe Kurt didn't have to feel like the world's worst boyfriend. Maybe Blaine has noticed how he'd changed the bookcase in his room around, or that he had a new hairspray.

Blaine got up off the bed and stood to the side of it. His face looked very concentrated about what he was saying. "You see me differently. You know I'm a...a freak." His hands were guarding his middle again like Kurt would attack him.

"You are NOT a freak. Don't you dare say that again." He worried if his voice would sound too mad and scare Blaine, but then realised that's exactly what Blaine was talking about. He wouldn't have hesitated to yell at Blaine the week before, in fact he didn't even think about it when he knocked a bottle of his favourite hairspray over.

Blaine was still looking down at the floor and let out a small laugh. "Yeah, I am though." He sounded so sure of that fact and Kurt hated it. He crawled over to where Blaine was standing. "No you're not. You are Blaine Anderson, the man that I love, and the man I love is NOT a freak. Just because you..." Kurt was about to follow on with the words, _are abused_, but realised how that would sound. Blaine had never used that word before and Kurt didn't want to until he had.

"...have an asshole for a dad doesn't make you any different." He reached out to grab Blaine's hand to sit him down with him, but he jumped back. He couldn't deny that was different. "Sorry. Habit." He muttered before getting the hint and sitting next to Kurt. "Even if what you said is true, you can't deny that today has been different."

He was right. Kurt couldn't deny it. He took Blaine's hand. "Look at me." Blaine slowly lifted his head. "Today has been different. I know it and you know it, but there's a good reason. Up until now, I thought I knew every little thing about you, but it turns out there's been a massive secret. And I'm not mad, but it's just hard to get my head around it. I dont...I'm glad you told me. You said it was because you trusted me, and you can. But today I guess I was just a bit shocked at how amazing you've managed to be despite all you've gone through."

Blaine was looking up at Kurt with big eyes like he just said something amazing. "But...you deserve someone who isn't damaged or...looks like I do." For the millionth time that day, Kurt wanted to cry. In his eyes, Blaine was beautiful. He didn't care about all the marks he had, in fact all he only cared because they were hurting him.

"I don't care what you look like. At all. I only care that you're hurt." An idea popped into his head. "You trust me, yes?" Blaine nodded eagerly like a puppy. Kurt got up and shut his bedroom door. Normally it wasn't allowed, but none of this could be considered normal. Besides, his dad wasn't even in so no one could object. "What are you-"

"Take off your shirt." Blaine's eyes went wide with horror. He shook his head, but Kurt took no attention ad headed into his bathroom. He rummaged around in the cabinet under the sink and pulled out the first aid kit that was always there, just in case. He walked back in to see Blaine sitting back up against the wall behind Kurt's bed with his shirt still on and toying with his sleeve. His eyes didn't leave the first aid kit in Kurt's hand.

Kurt crawled up next to him and patted his leg. "Come on, I wanna make you feel better." He giggled at the slight hint of sexiness that was in the way he said it, but Blaine didn't laugh. His arms were still wrapped around his middle and his eyes were scared.

"I don't want to." He sounded like a scared child. "Blaine, I told you I don't care what you look like, and besides I've already seen it. It's clear you're hurting and if I'm the only one that knows then no one else can do it. Let me help you. Please."

Blaine sat for a second before nodding slightly and Kurt was thinking back to the day before in the bathroom. Blaine didn't look as scared, but he looked more unsure of what he was about to do. He shuffled away from Kurt a bit and slid his shirt off his small frame.

Kurt still wasn't used to his body-after all he had only seen it once. Every mark was the result of some sort of attack from his dad and it hurt him in his heart how much pain he must have been in for every day he knew him. Even in Dalton, those sorts of things didn't just go away.

Blaine was looking up at Kurt with and expression he couldn't read. Fear. Concern. Worry. Anger? "Lie down, Blainers." Blaine smirked at his nick name and also what Kurt had said, and did what he was told. He was propped up on his arms, lying flat on Kurt's bed when it occurred to him how...adult this was.

Kurt sat there for a minute just looking at him. If he was honest, he didn't really know where to start. There wasn't really much he could do for bruises except put cream on it. Kurt would normally put tea soaked tissue in a bruise to reduce it but he wasn't sure he had that much tea. Or tissue. He'd start with the cuts. That he could do.

He grabbed some antiseptic wipes from out his kit. Blaine didn't look as scared as he did before. He was just watching Kurt intently with wide eyes. He was holding a wipe but didn't know which cut to start with. He figured he'd start from one side and go to the other, so he started with a fairly recent looking cut on his left forearm.

"Oww! Shit." Blaine whispered when Kurt ran a wipe across the cut. "Sorry! I forgot to tell you it would sting." Blaine readjusted himself before Kurt went to clean it some more. "This will sting" he said sarcastically before starting again. Blaine laughed and had lost all his fear. Kurt wasn't going to hurt him or judge him. He wanted to help him.

Kurt cleaned every cut over Blaine's front and put larger Band-Aids on the ones that needed it. He rubbed cream on all his bruises in order to help them heal better. A lot of Blaine wasn't visible through all the plasters, but silently they managed to work their way through every one of Blaine's discolorations. On the front anyway.

Kurt was putting everything away in the first-aid kit when he noticed Blaine smiling up at him from where he was propped up on his elbows. Smiling. "What are you smiling at?" Kurt laughed. His boyfriend looked like the goofy boy he had been talking to the week before and he was glad.

"I just love you. Thank you for this by the way, you really care." They both just sat there smiling at each other before Blaine reached an arm out to pull Kurt down to where he was and kissed him. Kurt was almost lying on top of him, just losing himself in everything that was Blaine.

He ran a hand over Blaine's stomach and up to his chest, and amazingly he didn't say anything. He tensed up momentarily before settling back down. They carried on before they heard the front door shut and a deep, loud voice.

"Kurt! You home?" Blaine scooted back and shot up away from Kurt. Without thinking he shouted back "Yeah I'm down here with Blaine." and that was all he had to say before he heard his dad's heavy footprints coming down the stairs to his bedroom.

Blaine was panicking. He was on Kurt's bed, shirtless. This would look bad, but by the state of his body, it was even worse. He could hear and see Kurt panicking but he wasn't taking notice. He grabbed his shirt and pulled it on, he'd gotten pretty good at doing it quickly, and jumped up completely from the bed.

By the time the door swung open Kurt had only managed to shuffle to the end of the bed. Burt looked at the two boys with suspicion. "Door stays open, 'Kay?" Kurt nodded but Blaine was still standing frozen, arms wrapped around his middle, and looking terrified. Burt just looked more confused. "Am I missing something, like did you guys have a fight?"

"No dad, we're fine. Can Blaine stay for dinner though?" Burt's eyes were glued to the nervous boy standing in the corner of the room. "Yeah sure he can. What happened to your eye, buddy?"He reached out to reference the bruise on his face, but Blaine looked even worse as Burt advanced towards him so he stopped. "Um, okay then. I'll call you when dinners ready." He said as he left. "And the door stays open!"

Kurt looked up at a still terrified Blaine and went over to find that thankfully, he didn't flinch away when he approached. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry Blaine!" He rubbed the sides of his arms. Blaine shrugged. "I'm-I'm fine." His voice was shaky which totally contradicted what he said.

"You know my dad though, he's not going to do anything. Was it just that he could of found out?" Kurt really didn't know why Blaine had been so scared of his dad. Most of the time he was like a big teddy bear, and he lived Blaine. He would have been better off acting completely normal.

"Your dad scares me Kurt, he always has." He said it quickly and quietly before walking back onto the bed to sit with Kurt. He didn't really know what to say. That was probably what he was last thing he was expecting him to say. This boy who spent nearly every weekend around his father. The boy that was polite but fun around his dad. The boy that talked to his dad about _sex_ before he was even dating him.

"You're...why?" He let Blaine lean into him and be sighed. "I don't know. He's a big guy and it's just...scary." Kurt was still confused. "He might be big, but you know he won't do anything, right?" Kurt knew his dad would never hurt Blaine. He'd told Kurt more than once how fond he was of his boyfriend.

Blaine sighed yet again. "It's not just that he's big it's just...that's part of it but the way you...call him dad. It's just scary to me." Kurt awwed and stroked his hair. He wondered if Blaine would ever want to be a father himself given how scared he was of them in general.

"So, dads scare you?" Blaine nodded. "I could call him Burt?" Blaine chuckled and shook his head. "Not unless you wanna get kicked out, I don't think he would like that."

"Okay. Still wanna watch that movie?" Blaine nodded again and received a kiss on the top of his head from Kurt. They made their way over to the DVDs and joked around and laughed, soon forgetting that they wanted to watch a film. They just sat and talked, like they normally would.


	9. Chapter 9

**I dont really have anything to say about this chapter apart from...sorry Blaine. This was one chapter but it was getting way too long so its split in two and the next part will be up next week. Thank you all of you, i love your face, annndd follow and review if you want!**

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Kurt was exhausted. He was glad it was Friday, and even happier to have two weeks off. His school had always been a bit strange, so when they announced a two week break because of "reptile related problems", he wasn't really surprised. He collapsed down onto the bed with the newest issue of Vogue, glad of the long needed break.

He was also glad because Blaine had promised to stay round for most of the holidays. Kurt desperately wanted to ask him to get out that house, but he knew how that would end, so he settled for being able to keep him safe for two weeks. He felt like it was his job to protect him no matter what Blaine said.

He went to school every morning worried Blaine would come in limping, or bruised or worse. At least, for two weeks, he would know he was safe in his arms. Things had improved over the past three days. Kurt practically dragged him over to his house every night for dinner and a hideaway for him.

He's tried to that night, but Blaine refused to interrupt his Friday night dinner and said he'd see him the next day anyway. Even though they never really talked about it, Blaine had gotten a bit more comfortable. The few times they'd made out the rest of that week Blaine had let Kurt slide a hand up his shirt as a way to make things go even further.

Kurt smiled. He really was looking forward to the break with his boyfriend. He really loved him with all his heart.

* * *

All Blaine could feel was pain. He couldn't feel scared, or worried, or angry, because his whole body was being consumed by a miserable pain. He could hear the words that were being screamed at him, but he couldn't figure out exactly what they meant. He could feel blood on his body and face, but he didn't know who's it was or where it was coming from. He knew he was in danger, but he didn't know what he could do to get out of it.

He ignored the pain for a second. He managed to struggle to his feet. Adrenaline was pumping full speed around his body that killed the worst of the pain he was in. He ran out the front door. The screaming didn't stop. The blood didn't stop, and as soon as he ran off his street, the worst of his pain came back. But he didn't care. He needed to get away. He knew exactly where to go, and he was going to get there if it killed him. Because if he was honest, he knew that's what would have happened if he stayed there.

* * *

It was 10:30 in the evening when Kurt realised he'd been in his room since he had dinner with his family. He could hear Finn and his dad screaming at the television screen at some sort of late night game, so he knew they were awake, but he had no idea if Carole still was.

He slid his way off his bed sheets, wondering if he could catch up with the sports. He didn't particularly get excited about it, but it was nice to sit with his dad for a while. And he found it particularly hilarious how involved both of them got.

"Hey dad." His dad or Finn didn't even look up. Both of them were sitting on the edge of their seats, Burt gripping a beer and Finn gripping a bottle of cola. "Who's playing? And why so late?" He walked past the TV briefly to hear a grunt from his dad and sat down in an armchair.

"Game has gone over. I swear, kid, you've missed the best game- NO!" Burt said before shouting in unison with his step-son. Kurt guessed something just happened, but he wasn't paying attention. Mercedes was going on about some boy that apparently made fun of her, or flirted with her or something and he was trying to wrap his head around that rather than what a man in a helmet was doing.

He sat in front of the TV for about half an hour, exchanging random words with his father and laughing at his excited slurs , when the doorbell rang. He cast an eye away from his phone to his family, and neither of them looked set on moving. "Don't worry, I'll get it shall I?" he asked sarcastically, and walked past the television slower than was necessary. The two men let out a louder grunt that they had before and kept watching in silence.

Kurt walked across the hallway and to the door, fully prepared for a sales call. Honestly, who else would be knocking at that hour? With his _sternest 'I-don't-want-anything-unless-it-makes-cakes'_ face, he opened the door. But he wasn't prepared for what he saw.

Blaine was swaying heavily on the doorway, shifting to find a way to stand that didn't make him feel the worst pain in his legs. He was breathily heavily, a mixture of pain and exhaustion. His raven black hair was matted with blood, and Kurt guessed it was coming from the back of his head. His face was covered in cuts that oozed the red liquid down his cheeks.

His shirt was covered in little nicks and yet more blood was spattered on it but Kurt couldn't tell if it was coming from his torso or just stray from his head. Blaine was wearing a short sleeved shirt for the for the first time he'd ever seen, and all the band aids he applied had been ripped off and replaced with new cuts and bruises. One of his eyes was swelling shut and the face he normally managed to keep uninjured was littered with more discolourations.

He had his raw arms wrapped around his stomach like he had many times before, but this looked more to do with pain than protection. He was hunched over and his sweat pants had cuts as well. He looked like the dictionary definition of pain and hurt but Kurt didn't know how to help.

He screeched after two seconds of the door being open, and prayed his dad was too absorbed in his game. He hadn't noticed the door ring so he had no reason to wonder who was there. Blaine managed to mutter out a weak "Kurt..." before falling forward into his boyfriends arms.

He was still conscious, but too weak to stand up for much longer. He'd managed to get all the way to Kurt's even if it was slower than he thought, but he couldn't do much more without help. It hurt to hold himself up, and he couldn't help himself from falling down into Kurt.

"Oh God, Blaine can you hear me?" Blaine weakly nodded in his arms. "I'm gonna get my dad to help you, okay?" Blaine tried to push himself up but the contact made his arms feel like they'd been set on fire. "No! I'm fine just...just help to your room." His voice was breathy and weak.

"Blaine you're not fine! I mean, I can try, just..." Kurt repositioned Blaine so his arm was slung over his shoulder and Kurt had both arms clutching to his middle to keep him up. " I'll try to get you to my room on our own, but when we get there I'm not promising anything. Okay?" Blaine whimpered a noise that sounded a lot like a yes, and Kurt set to walking at a slow speed.

He could hear Blaine trying to muffle his sounds of pain but a few of them managed to escape from his lips. Kurt was going to tell his dad. He didn't know why they were continuing this charade when he could easily carry him across the hallway to bed. But Blaine was determined to do this, so Kurt would let him. For now.

They needed to go past the living room doorway where his dad and Finn were sitting. He was confident they could slip pass, when he heard his dad switch the game over to a background channel so Finn and Burt could talk. _Shit._ They would definitely notice him now. "Blaine, can you walk on your own?"

"I think so, why? Where are you going?" Blaine sounded afraid of Kurt leaving him, but that's the last thing he wanted to do. "My dad will see us if I help you, so I need to go talk to him while you walk past? Can you be quiet and do that?" Blaine nodded and waved his hand gently to signal Kurt should go carry out his plan.

"Hey dad, hey Finn, can I talk to you for a second?" He stood in front of the TV, even though they weren't properly watching it, just to make sure they had their attention. "Sure buddy. What's up?" _That's a good question_, Kurt thought, _maybe that my boyfriend has been beaten to a pulp and won't let anyone else but me help him? _

"Um...can I ask you a favour?" Burt considered it. "Depends what this favour is." Also a good question. Kurt was pulling things out of thin air. "So we have a two week break from school, and I wondered if you could, um, maybe lend me some money so I can do stuff? And lend Finn some as well." Kurt knew if Finn's name wasn't mentioned a lot in a conversation he would tune out and he didn't want him to look toward the hallway.

"Well I- what the hell is that noise?" Burt was talking about the cries of pain that were escaping from Blaine's mouth. He'd managed to limp past the door, but Kurt forgot to tell him to stop. From what he could tell, his boyfriend was trying to get down the stairs with whatever strength he had left.

"Oh I left Moulin Rouge on, it must be playing over again." Kurt knew his dad would agree with whatever he said about that film. He'd made him sit through it more than once but he never paid attention, so whatever Kurt said about it Burt would sit and agree. He'd once managed to make his dad believe there was a kangaroo in one of the scenes.

"I'll just go turn it off! Thanks for the talk!" Kurt ran before his dad could say anything, but he heard him snigger behind his back. Blaine had already managed to descend the stairs by the time he got there, and Kurt walked in to find him collapsed on his bed, lying half on his front and half on his side in the middle of the bed. Kurt shut the door and rushed over to his side.

"Blaine, oh my God. How did this happen? What did your dad do? Do you need to go to the hospital?" Now they were safe and away from prying ears Kurt was letting himself panic and chatter like a monkey. He's never been this scared and he'd never seen anyone hurt this badly in real life. Kurt's mind was listing injuries Blaine could have from his extensive knowledge of Greys Anatomy and wishing right there he had magic healing hands to make Blaine feel better.

Blaine groaned and rolled over onto his back. He was breathing loudly with his eyes shut with his hands still on his stomach. "Where...where are you hurt? Carole's a nurse she'll know how to help you, Blaine" Blaine shook his head. "No, I just need somewhere to stay. You don't...need to help me. I don't want to bother you."

Kurt reached his hands out to touch Blaine, but he didn't quite know where. He settled for a small section on his arm, but Blaine bit his lip and tried not to make a pained noise. Kurt wanted to help. He needed too. He was fully prepared to deal with the cuts and bruises he had beforehand, but he was in a new area now. Anywhere he touched made him want to cry out in pain. Kurt could comfort. That was his job. He needed Carole. He needed his dad. Hell, he even wanted Finn.

"Blaine I want to help you. No offence but you look dreadful right now and you don't look like you can breathe. I can let you stay here but I HAVE to ask my dad. He keeps some of his work stuff in my closet and if he finds you here tomorrow he'll kick off. He's a very protective person and as much as I love you, I can't lie to him like that."

Kurt had no idea how to ask his dad if Blaine could stay over when it was nearly midnight. Secretly he hoped his dad would come talk to Blaine or come burst into his room just so Blaine couldn't hide his pain anymore.

Blaine opened his eyes to look at Kurt. "Go...ask if I can stay over...but don't say that there's anything wrong." His eyes started to fill with tears. "Please, Kurt." He nodded and quickly kissed Blaine on the lips before making his way upstairs. His boyfriend was struggling to catch his breath, and the amount of trust in his eyes made Kurt feel guilty of the fact that he was essentially ratting Blaine out. He would find out Blaine was staying there eventually, why not when he was actually needed?

_This isn't going to go well._

* * *

Burt was tossing his beer bottle in the trash when Kurt found him. He felt sick. Apparently Burt had noticed his discomfort. "Hey Kurt, you alright?" He sounded tired, Kurt was too, but it was no time for it.

"Can Blaine stay over tonight?" He hadn't lied. He hadn't lied to Blaine at all. He said exactly what he said he would, even of it sounded weird. "Kurt it's almost midnight. You guys can be apart for a while, you know that right?" Kurt nodded. "Id say yes, but it's a bit late for Blaine to be driving over. Just wait till morning."

His dad said no. That wasn't an option, Blaine had nowhere to go. "But he's already downstairs; he got here a few minutes ago." Burt looked at him, surprised and cold. "A few minutes ago? You're telling me your boyfriend sneaked in this house at an ungodly hour without permission, and now you're asking if he can stay over? Is that seriously what's happening right now?"

_He didn't exactly sneak in_, Kurt thought, _to be honest he kind of 'fainted in'_. He didn't reply, he just stood there with one hand in the other. The silence and the look on Kurt's face was enough for Burt to start heading towards Kurt's room. He was a good parent, one of the best, but he always assumed the worst. Blaine sneaking into his bedroom at night sent a fairly warped message to his dads mind, but it was a message that at least sent him storming down the stairs.

He didn't even knock before throwing open the door. Kurt followed close behind him. "BLAINE! I CAN'T-" He was set up for a lecture, but then he saw the small, injured boy struggling for breath in Kurt's bed. He looked terrified. Kurt already knew his dad scared him so last thing he needed was him yelling after he'd just been beaten senseless by his own father.

Kurt could see him trying to struggle up, or away, or just anything he could do to make this look better, but every time he moved he let out a loud whine. He didn't try to stifle it anymore, because as far as he was concerned, it was too late. People would know, and all wanted to do was get away from Burt before he could do or say anything.

"CAROLE! GET DOWN HERE!" Burt yelled it up the stairs before turning on the lights as bright as they would go and walking over to Blaine. He didn't quite know what to do, just like Kurt. He reached out a hand, wondering if sitting would be better, but Blaine flinched as best he could. "No! Don't hurt me..." He said it quietly. He was so weak. Burt took a step back.

"He's not going to hurt you honey, he wants to help. He wants to help you feel better. Can you let him and Carole do that?" He could hear Carole moving around in her bedroom upstairs. Burt stepped forward again and sat down on the edge while Kurt knelt at the other side and stroked his forehead, hoping it was more soothing than it was painful.

Blaine looked at Burt and let out a small whimper. Carole appeared in the room looking sleepy, but shocked awake as soon as she laid eyes on Blaine. "Oh my God, sweetie what happened?" She didn't know how badly he was hurt, and started to rub 'soothingly' on his thigh where she could reach, but Blaine let out a very loud noise at the pressure.

"Okay, you'll be fine. We're going to help you." She lowered he voice and looked into Kurt's eyes. "How did this happen?" Kurt didn't want to tell her because he knew Blaine didn't want him too. "...his dad" Carole brought her hand up to her mouth and blinked away a tear. "Okay." she said quietly. "Okay! Burt, Kurt, I need you to help Blaine sit up. I'm going to get some things." And with that she disappeared back upstairs.

Kurt stood and slipped to hands under Blaine's right shoulder and lower back. Blaine was biting down hard on his bottom lip. Burt approached to do the same, but Blaine let out another noise that sounded like 'no' and started to breath heavier than he already was. He was trying to shuffle away but he couldn't.

"Look, buddy" his dad said "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to help you sit up so Carole can stop you feeling this crappy. Okay? Trust me." Blaine looked at him before nodding and Burt returned the gesture. He mimicked Kurt's arms to make it as even as possible, and with a '1, 2, 3' the lifted Blaine up so he was siting. He couldn't contain his pain and let out a loud scream. He was still clutching at his stomach. "I know, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry." Kurt was rambling but he didn't care

The blood on his shirt was covering more area, so Kurt knew he was covered in scratches there too. He had no idea how his dad would manage to do that. The blood in his hair was drying, but one of Kurt's pillows was decorated with a large blood stain so his head still hadn't stopped bleeding at the back. His eye was almost completely swollen shut and turning a deep purple colour.

Carole walked back down the stairs, minus the dressing gown and with a lot of added medical supplies. "Blaine, I don't know how badly you're hurt, so I need you to talk to me. If it's really bad we might have to take you to the hospital." Burt and Kurt were still holding him up, supporting his small amount of weight. "No, no hospital." His voice had gotten stronger just to emphasise how much he hated it in those sterile buildings. "We'll see." Carole sounded doubtful.

The men managed to get Blaine so he was leaning against Kurt's headboard and they weren't in the way. Carole was sitting next to him much like a mother would do with a sick child. Kurt was puzzled to see a camera sitting next to her on the bed. "Blaine, before I assess how you are, I need to get a photo to document your injuries. If you ever need proof of how badly you were hurt then these will be the way for it."

" No, no photos, no hospitals. I don't want to." Carole looked at him with pity. "I know, sweetie, but if you ever do need proof against you dad it'll help greatly." Burt spoke up again, he'd been silent for a while. "Your DAD did this to you?" Kurt figured his dad must not have heard the first time. "That son of a bitch."

"How about this-I'll take one of your head, then stop the blood so it'll all be better. Then your shirt is the same way. I'll take one of your upper body and then do what I can to help it, and then your legs." She laid a hand gently on top if his. "I'll never show anyone. Promise."

Blaine looked up to Kurt, who nodded. He did need photos, evidence, and he never would have thought of it. Blaine nodded. "Okay. I'll do it." Carole smiled lightly. "Thank you." She proceeded to take pictures of the back of Blaine's bleeding head, and the hair that was tinted red, and the scratches on his face before fixing them.

She took a damp cloth and wiped the blood away from his face. There wasn't just one large one, it was lots of smallish gashes. They may have been small but they still looked deep. Kurt admired Blaine. He'd cried last time he had a paper cut. Carole placed band-aids over them to try and stem the bleeding.

The blood was harder to get out of his hair. Carole wiped the worst of it out before deciding the last bit could come out the next time he had a shower. Kurt looked up from where he was holding Blaine's hand as gently as he could. He was resting all his weight onto the wall. Burt was silently taking small steps around the room. She placed a small cloth behind the cut on his head for him to lean on. Carole sat there and wiped his neck before realising she needed Blaine to take off his shirt.

"Blaine, would you be able to take your shirt off so I can treat your stomach?" Blaine's eyes widened. "I..." was all he got out before he nodded. Kurt knew how sensitive Blaine was about his body. He'd only shown him about four days ago, and it wasn't as bad then. "Some of them are...old" was all he could manage as an explanation. He let go of Kurt's hand and winced while pulling off his shirt slowly. He made an assortment of noises that weren't pleasant.

Everyone's eyes widened except Blaine's. He was used to it. Kurt had been, but it was so much worse that time. He hunched over his own body in shame with his head hung low. "Blaine, how long has this been happening? With your dad?" Burt tried to put it a gently as he could, but it wouldn't have mattered what he said. Blaine didn't feel like he could get any lower. He shrugged his shoulders, but whimpered after, regretting it. "As long as I can remember I guess."

Kurt stood up, desperately wanting to hug him but he knew it would hurt and he'd be in the way. "It's okay Blaine." Was all he could say, except that it really wasn't okay. Carole continued to take pictures of his front, back and arms before cleaning them up and stemming the bleeding. She bandaged up nearly his whole arms, minus the elbow so they could bend.

"I think your stomach is just bruised quite badly. It should stop soon as long as you don't push yourself." She was staring at the way his stomach caved in and how she could see all his ribs and backbone. She needed to ask but she knew it could be a bad area. "When I'm finished up, do you mind if I weigh you? You can say no but...you look a bit..."

"Gross? It's fine, I know how much I weigh anyway." Blaine sounded so worn out and blamed his lack of a filter on it. "No, honey you don't look...gross, but would you be able to tell me? And your height." She needed to work out if his BMI was healthy, but she already guessed it wouldn't be.

"I'm five foot eight," that Kurt knew but he didn't want to know what was next. "But I weigh ninety four pounds." The room went deadly silent. Carole knew that was bad, Blaine needed to weigh at least one hundred and twenty pounds to just qualify to be a healthy weight.

"Okay. Thank you, Blaine. I think I'm done on this part of your body. Would you be able to remove your pants for me? I know it might be weird but you can go to sleep once I've done it." Blaine chewed his lips. Kurt had never seen Blaine's legs before. They were just legs but he would be almost naked in front of everyone, including Burt who had stayed silent for the rest of the time.

"I can get you a shirt first if you want, sweetie. You won't get cold that way." Blaine smiled as well as he could and nodded. He still seemed to be in an infinite amount of pain. Kurt grabbed his only long sleeved shirt from the draw, thinking he might be more comfortable that way.

Carole stepped back to stand with Burt while Kurt helped his boyfriend into a shirt like he was a toddler. Blaine would've protested if he could do it himself, but there was nothing he could do except grunt and whimper in pain every time he moved. Once his shirt was on, he laid back on the wall with his eyes shut.

"Are you okay? Do you want me to get you anything?" Kurt felt absolutely useless, he couldn't touch him without hurting him, he couldn't help because he had no idea what he was doing. "Hurts." was all Blaine managed with his weak voice. It was past midnight and everyone needed some sleep, but from the blood stains on his sweatpants meant they were going to be awake for a lot longer.

"I know it does, but Carole just needs to help your legs and then you can sleep." Kurt laid close next to him and gently rubbed his arm. If it hurt he didn't say anything, but he lolled his head over to Kurt's shoulder. Kurt looked over at Carole and smiled sadly. He just wanted Blaine to sleep and be happy. "I know you're tired Blaine, but I need to stop your legs from bleeding okay?" Blaine nodded. His hands were in weak fists and his eyes were still closed.

Carole pressed her hands into Blaine's thigh in an attempt to help him, but he yelled out, opening his eyes and arching his back. Burt excused himself to go get a glass of water for Blaine, but he knew he didn't want to see or hear anymore. Kurt hoped he was wrong when he thought he saw his dads eyes start to water. Kurt didn't want to hear it, but he would be there. He would help.

"I know it hurts, sweetie, I'm sorry. But it'll be worse if I leave it." She pulled his loose sweatpants down and left Blaine to whine. He had tears forming in his eyes from the pain and when Kurt saw why he wasn't surprised.

He had burns on his legs. They looked old, but still painful. Kurt remembered how he burnt himself badly and it hurt for days. He didn't know if Blaine had done it himself, but the way he tried to avoid them -and when he did see them looked at them with disgust-he guessed that wasn't the case. That wasn't the worst though. He had deep bruises developing and they were swollen. They had deep cuts in them that looked like they would start to bleed again if Blaine moved. There was dried blood stuck to him and Kurt was surprised it hadn't seeped through his pants.

Carole stared at them and tried to keep her face neutral, but failed. She grabbed a cloth and wetted it, and covered it in antiseptic in the process. She wiped around the cuts first, lifting the dried blood, and then went to wipe them full on. She went over once, earning a loud cry out from Blaine. He clenched his teeth and tipped his head back into the wall. He was breathing heavily, and it was one swipe on one cut. His legs were littered with them.

Kurt squeezed his hand and covered his mouth. Carole had tears in her eyes, but Blaine couldn't see. Kurt just wondered what the hell happened to cause injuries like that. It couldn't have been from bare hands alone and it made Kurt sick.

Eventually they got through it with a lot of protest from Blaine. They eased him back into a clean pair of Kurt's pyjama bottoms. He managed to shift himself so he was lying flat on his back, chest heaving up and down with pain and tears tracked down his face. Carole went back upstairs saying she'd be back in a few minutes, after Blaine managed to get out a thank you, with tears of her own down her face.

Kurt laid down next to his boyfriend. He wanted to know how exactly it happened. He needed to. Once Blaine's breathe returned to normal, he started. "Blaine? D'you wanna tell me how this happened?" Blaine was still and silent for a few seconds_. Where is my dad with that glass of water?_ He was rigid at the mention, but loosened when Kurt rubbed as soft as he could against his arm.

"...okay"


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter ten, wooooooooo. Double figures man. Awesome. So this is like part two of last chapter, and i feel kind of huurrgff about it. I dont know if its the way I wrote it or...I dont know. I'm trying to make this story as realistic as I can and I hope it is. Also, Blaine and Burt in this kind of broke my heart in this. You'll see why in a minute (ssoorry). Anyway, read and review if you like! Thank you to everyone!**

_"Blaine? D'you wanna tell me how this happened?"_

_"...okay"_

Kurt was surprised he said yes, but was relieved he'd get to know. The injuries Blaine had were some of the worst things he'd ever seen, and he knew his dad must have wanted to do it. He couldn't have done it with just punches and slaps, and if Kurt was ever attacked he would tell Blaine. Someone, anyone. He couldn't just let it marinate inside of him.

Blaine was trying to sit up so he wasn't flat on his back, but it was painful and he didn't have the strength. Kurt shushed him to get him to stop straining himself and pulled him up to sit against a pillow. Kurt joined him and sat close, wrapping an arm around his shoulders to let him know he wasn't going anywhere.

Blaine just sat and rested against Kurt for a second, trying to get as much of his physical pain to subside before he started to unwind the pain that was in his head. Kurt gently grabbed one of his hands and stroked it. He needed to feel safe and Kurt wanted him to.

"I-I thought it was just...a normal day." Blaine kept having to pause to get his breath back. He needed rest, but it was clear he wouldn't be able to sleep without telling someone. Kurt didn't know if he'd be able to sleep at all. "I was in my room, and he came in...he was really drunk."

His eyes were glazing over as if he could see straight into memory. "I had to wear a short sleeved shirt...my others were dirty. But...he could see all my band aids." Kurt held his breath. He hoped all of it wasn't his fault. "He ripped them all off my arms...he wanted to take them off my chest, but I wouldn't let him take my shirt."

"Does he normally take your clothes?" Kurt was curious as to how far Blaine's dad went. He didn't picture him ever undressing his son. Blaine tried to shake his head but it jarred his neck, so he just replied with "No, but he wanted to take the band aids...off my chest. I didn't want him to so I...I fought back."

"How did you fight back, honey?" Blaine was sort of out of it, and unless Kurt asked him he was probably going to skip over important parts of the night and Kurt wouldn't know everything. "I just tried to block him, but it didn't work. So...I ran out my room. He caught up, hit me until I went down. He made me stand back up...and pushed me down the stairs."

He had silent tears streaking down his face. Kurt wiped them away with his thumb and laid even closer to Blaine. He kissed him on the side of his face where he didn't think it would hurt so much. He didn't say anything. He wanted him to keep going.

"It hurt pretty bad. He dragged me into the kitchen...and just wouldn't stop." The tears started to flow faster and faster. "He wouldn't stop, Kurt, he wouldn't stop." Kurt wanted to hold him closer, but he didn't know how. He let a tear roll down his own face, before trying to wipe away Blaine's. "Shh, sweetie, it's okay. You're safe now." Blaine still had tears down his face, but he hadn't started to sob. He was lying there silently.

"I couldn't do anything. He didn't like me healing. He was mad. He was...I don't know what he was but its...the worst it's ever been. He...he..." That was it. Kurt knew the worst part was coming. He didn't know he could cope or was ready to know exactly what he did. But Blaine had gotten this far, and he didn't think he could stop him.

"He said he wanted me to die!" He said it while bursting out into a sob. Kurt gently rolled Blaine over so his head was on his chest, and let him weep into him. He didn't want Blaine to see the few stray tears that managed to escape from him. Through his heavy and painful sobs he choked out the next part. "He had a knife Kurt, he had a knife."

Kurt let out a whimper for his boyfriend, but didn't start to cry. At that moment, Carole and Burt slowly walked into the room while Blaine kept repeating it over and over again into Kurt's chest. It was loud enough for them both to hear. Carole put her hand over her mouth and started to let her own tears fall, and Burt just looked at Kurt. He looked back at his father as to ask for help. He didn't know what to do.

Burt slowly approached Blaine. He'd learnt he was afraid of him, but hoped he be too wrapped up in his memories to notice it was him. Burt sat down carefully next to him, and placed a hand gently on the young boys back. As soon as he did Blaine jerked away, cried out in pain, and started to say 'no' over and over again. It was muffled, just like his last sentence had been, but they could all make it out.

Kurt's face was twisting into something even more pained, and it was only a matter of time before he burst into tears himself. Burt nodded at him. In his mind, Blaine was maxed out on fear, and it couldn't get much worse. Burt wrapped his hands around Blaine's shoulders and pulled him up as gently as he could. He rolled him over and off of Kurt, so he was slumped against his own sitting body. He pulled his legs so they overlapped his own, and wrapped one arm around his back and the other over his chest so his hands interlocked around him.

Blaine struggled at first as best he could. He was still terrified of Burt, but he was weak and tired and scared, and it didn't take long before he stopped and melted into Burt's arms and just cried. Burt wasn't exactly a reassuring person, but he stayed still and soothed his sons boyfriend while he lost control of himself. Blaine didn't feel like he could ever stop. He felt like he was going to miserable forever and always be in pain, always be crying.

As soon as Burt lifted Blaine off of him, Kurt jumped off the bed over to Carole. She opened her arms and he gladly took them, swaying there for a second before turning his attention back to Blaine. His face was shielded away from him, but he could look at his dad. The look in his eyes wasn't one he liked or recognised. He kept consoling Blaine like he was his own son. His fear had melted away and wasn't holding back at all. His loud sobs were we're ringing through the silent house.

Eventually, Blaine's crying stopped. They turned into quiet sniffles, but he was still breathing shallowly and was curled into Burt as closely as he could. Burt wasn't letting go and he hadn't once stopped reassuring Blaine that it was okay, that he was safe and that no one would hurt him.

If he was out of it before it was nothing compared to how he was afterwards. Crying had worn him down, and his eyes started to flutter shut in Burt's arms. "Hey buddy, you still with me here?" Blaine let out a small noise to let Burt know he was awake. Burt continued to rock him ever so slightly back and forth until he was asleep.

He laid him down onto Kurt's bed and trying not to wake him up. With all his injuries, he was extra sensitive to being woken. Even when he was sleeping, his face was still screwed up in pain and exhaustion. The tears down his face we're drying and everyone in the room was staring at the same small boy.

"Dad..." Kurt had managed to stay strong through all of that and hadn't burst into tears, but it was getting harder. He sort of felt like he had swallowed a balloon, and it would either shrivel up or burst into pieces. He wasn't quite sure which one he wanted.

Burt held up his hand. "Tomorrow, buddy. We could all use some sleep. You look like you're gonna pass out." Kurt tried to ignore the concern in his father's breaking voice. He'd always loved Blaine, almost like one of his own, and to have the formerly confident and polite teenager break down in his arms wasn't something he was good at handling. "You can sleep here with Blaine tonight. I don't think he should be on his own. I don't think you should either."

Kurt nodded slightly, still chewing on his thumb nail. Burt walked over and enveloped him in a warm hug. It made Kurt feel like things could be better. Even if it was just a hug. Carole and Burt said goodnight before heading upstairs. It was only when Kurt was alone apart from Blaine that he let his tears run at a faster speed. He didn't make any noise, the last thing he wanted was to wake Blaine, but it was much harder than it had been before.

He climbed into bed next to his boyfriend and just looked at him through his teary eyes. He couldn't believe it. Because of how exhausted Blaine was he hadn't explained all the details, and he was glad. Kurt knew there was more. He knew there was. He didn't know if he'd be able to know exactly what his dad did with that knife, or how badly he had beaten him. He'd seen the stairs at Blaine's house and they weren't small. He couldn't picture how painful that must have been, let alone the rest of it.

He didn't want to sleep. He wanted to watch Blaine all night but he couldn't keep his eyelids from drifting shut. He fought it a few times, but whenever he managed to shock himself awake, Blaine was still in the same position he had been. He was lying still and looking as peaceful as he could given the circumstances. Kurt couldn't fight it anymore, the evening had drained him of all his energy and he drifted quickly off to sleep.

* * *

_Blaine couldn't figure it out. He couldn't see anything at first but he could feel it He was being consumed by fear and a faint pain that he couldn't figure out was real. He could see his father looming over him holding a silver object that was gleaming in the bright light that seemed to illuminate the whole room to a point where he had to squint. It wasn't right. He'd gotten away, he'd been safe at Kurt's just a moment ago, yet his dad had gotten to him again. He wasn't okay. His dad was going to kill him and there was no way out. Maybe if he screamed someone would help. He tried but nothing came out, so he tried harder. He wouldn't give up. He would fight. He would fight against that man._

* * *

Kurt was jostled awake. He groaned. He turned over to try and ignore it, but it just kept getting stronger. It was then Kurt remembered that Blaine was sleeping right beside him, and immediately turned over to see if he was okay.

Blaine was squirming around, asleep, and making small whimpering noises. Kurt figured he must have been having a bad dream, and decided to sit awake with him while he rode it out and got to the end. He didn't really know much about nightmares, but his mother used to tell him to never wake up anyone.

"Shhh, honey, shhh" He wondered if telling him he was okay would help him even if he was asleep, but it didn't seem to. He started to twitch and move around even more. The noises he was making were getting louder, and Kurt thought it would only get worse. "Wake up, Blaine." He said it louder and shoved him lightly on the side.

He immediately regretted it when Blaine shot away from him and made an even louder noise of fear and pain. He needed to get his boyfriend to stop moving, he didn't want him to hurt himself even more. "Stop, Blaine. Wake up!" He was moving faster and faster, making louder and louder whimpers, until eventually he ended up screaming in fear. His eyes were still screwed shut.

"BLAINE!" Kurt shoved him and tried to hold him down so he wouldn't hurt himself. Kurt didn't want to wake anyone, but by the way Blaine kept screaming everyone probably was (except Finn- he hadn't seemed to notice anything that night). He reached over to his bedside table and turned the light on. Blaine's shirt and hair were covered in sweat from fear.

Blaine was tossing and turning furiously, screaming loudly and yelling 'no' just like he'd been muttering into Kurt's chest earlier. Kurt couldn't do anything apart from sit and stare at him. He couldn't wake him up and he couldn't get him to stop moving around and doing further damage to himself.

Just then, Burt stumbled through the door looking half asleep and confused. "KURT! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" He had to shout just to be heard over Blaine's screams. Kurt just looked over at Blaine the same way he had earlier to ask for help. Burt stomped his way over as fast as he could. Blaine had squirmed onto his back and his arms were slowly making his way down his stomach and his legs were sliding every which way. Kurt didn't want to think how much pain he'd be in when he did wake up.

"BLAINE! WAKE UP!" Blaine must've reacted to the deep, male voice because he shot up, propped on his elbows. As he sat up, he let out a loud yell of pain from shooting up so fast and all the movement he'd done. His eyes were wide and his breathing was deepest Kurt had ever seen anyone breathe. It was like he'd just run a marathon, especially with how much he was sweating.

Burt was the first to speak. "Blaine" His face was a picture of pure terror. Blaine looked up at Burt and then to Kurt, and all around the room as best he could without hurting his neck. "Where..." His voice was wheezy. He had no idea where he was or why. He'd been safe at Kurt's, then taken back to his father and now he was back in bed again?

"You had a nightmare, kid." Blaine was still trying to catch his breath but it was running further away. He looked down and realised his chest was covered in sweat. It must've been bad. "Has that ever happened before?" Kurt spoke up from the corner of the bed. He looked nearly as terrified as Blaine did.

All he managed to get out was "No. Sorry." He'd had nightmares, but never to that extent. He didn't know exactly what he did in his sleep, but if it had woken Burt up it must've been bad. He'd never been that scared of it before, and it had never seemed so real.

"Don't be sorry. You okay?" _No,_ he thought, but it didn't stop him from nodding. He eased himself up from his elbows to sit, and was joined by different noises from Kurt and Burt to stop, but he didn't listen. He raised a shaky hand to wipe his face in stress.

He felt a hand be placed on his back and immediately snapped round to see what it was, only to find it was Kurt. He hated how he looked scared. Of him. He brought his hand over to his neck. He wasn't doing it much good. Kurt took his hand back like it'd been burnt. Blaine looked at him to say sorry. He didn't understand why he was scared of Kurt. He loved him.

Burt was still standing to the side of the bed. He didn't quite know what to do. Blaine didn't want to sit in that bed anymore. He reached out and pulled the covers off his legs and swung them over the side of the bed. As he got up, Burt grabbed onto his shoulder lightly. "Woah, where you going?" Blaine hated how much he had to lean on him, but he was glad he was there for him.

"Bathroom" was all he got out before limping as fast as he could to Kurt's en suite. He could feel both pairs of eyes burning into his back and knew how stupid he looked hobbling away. He could feel the hot the hot years pricking the back of his eyes, but he refused to cry in front of Kurt and Burt. Even if he already had. He heard his name being called softly as he went through the door, but he kept going until the door was safely shut.

* * *

As soon as he heard the click behind him, he leant against the door and slid down it until he was sitting on the floor. He let the tears run down his face. He was in pain, yes, but mostly he just felt miserable. Not even miserable, he needed a new word for the way he felt.

He was hurt. That was a large factor. He'd gotten used to it in his life, but apart from when he'd been hospitalised it hadn't been this bad. He didn't know that kind of pain existed. The only small shimmer of happiness was that Carole hadn't made him go to emergency room. People would've asked him questions, ones he didn't want to answer.

All be wanted to do was sleep. Its all he'd been wanting to do since he'd gotten home that day, but apparently his father had ruined that for him too. He'd gotten away but he was still haunting him from inside his head, and that was the only place Blaine couldn't run from. He could remember everything about that nightmare. He didn't think it would be so bad, I mean, if he remembered the actual event then what bother was a nightmare?

It was warped, that was why. At least he'd gotten away from it, gotten to Kurt, in reality. In his head he wasn't able to move. He couldn't talk. He couldn't breathe. He remembered having the instinct to scream and hoped he hadn't done it out loud, but from the look on Kurt's face he knew all too well he had.

Kurt. He didn't want him to see him like he was. He had known what Blaine was for only under a week and already he'd sprung this on him. Kurt would never see him the same way. Blaine wouldn't be Blaine to him. It hurt to think he couldn't be a normal boyfriend to him, and it hurt to see how scared he was. How scared he was of him.

He honestly felt the lowest he ever had. He just wanted to drift away.

Blaine shuffled into the corner so he wouldn't be able to see himself in the portable mirror that sat on the floor. He knew it was bad. He didn't need to see it, and it only just occurred to him he hadn't yet. He'd escaped it. Then he laughed. He'd escaped nothing. Why couldn't he see the after math of the brutal attack on him? He didn't know why, but he got up on shaky feet.

The view would be better in the mirror on the wall. He clutched the side of the sink before slowly turning his head up to look at himself. He let out a quiet gasp. The last thing he wanted was for Kurt to hear it and walk in.

His face was a battle field- well, what he could see anyway. It made his stomach churn. He'd been standing there staring at himself for about half a minute before falling to his knees and throwing up the contents of his stomach into the conveniently close toilet. It wasn't much, mostly water, but it still burnt the back of his throat like fire. Blaine hated to be sick and tried to be quiet while doing it, but a few coughs managed to escape from inside.

He spat once more and closed the lid. He hadn't eaten anything apart from lunch, so he was pretty sure that was it. He sank against the cool, hard tiles on the wall. He clutched his middle to try and quench the fire in his already badly bruised stomach and kept swallowing to help his throat. Well that was a new low.

He'd never vomited at the site of himself before. It had made him feel sick before when it was bad, but never to that extent. He hadn't seen his body in the mirror and had been in too much pain to focus while Carole patched him up. He gritted his teeth and dreaded the day when he was able to see his whole reflection.

He would be quite content to just stay there and never move again. He wanted to give up. He didn't want to die exactly, he wanted to live for when he was better and for Kurt, his Kurt. But at that moment it felt as though everyone would be better off if he just vanished into a cloud of smoke. Nothing good could shine through the dark cloud that hung over his head. He knew someone would come into the bathroom to check if he was okay eventually, but until that came he would just sit. He didn't care if they ever came in. He could sit forever.

* * *

As soon as the door clicked behind Blaine, Kurt flopped backwards into the pillows behind him. He was exhausted, too exhausted to cry, and just wanted to sleep. He didn't want to say it, but his boyfriend was getting hard to handle. He hadn't had any experience in anything like this.

"Sit up, Buddy." He felt his dad sit next him on the bed. One of his arms was open so Kurt could lean against his side. He took it gladly. "I don't know what to do, dad." His voice was small and ashamed.

"You don't have to do anything. You can let Blaine do this on his own if you want." Kurt was horrified. He detached from his dad and looked up at him. "I can't let him do this alone, dad. I love him." Burt nodded his head. He yawned. It was obvious he had way more questions, but was willing to wait until morning. It was only a few hours away anyway.

"Will Blaine be okay down here or does he have to sleep in my room?" Kurt shrugged. He didn't know nightmare could happen that fast and he didn't know if it could happen more than once in one night. Blaine needed sleep but he didn't know if he could get more than a few hours.

"I don't know. I might wait to see what he wants to do when he comes out the bathroom." Burt nodded. He pulled Kurt back into his arms and let him lean there.

"That sounds smart. What's he even doing in there anyway?" Kurt shrugged again. He'd learnt Blaine had a tendency to, well, run away when anything like this happened. He probably put himself in horrendous pain just by walking into the en suite, but apparently it was better than sitting there in front of the people he'd already been vulnerable to. He didn't need to be again.

"He's probably just embarrassed, I-" Kurt stopped and held a hand up so his dad would be quiet as well. He wasn't sure what he thought he heard behind the door, but he wanted to be sure. He got up and walked quietly to the door. His dad tried to ask what he was doing, but Kurt just shushed him.

He stood for a second, but it was only when he heard some throaty coughs he knew Blaine was being sick. Kurt frowned even further and placed a hand over his chest. "What is it?" Burt stood and walked next to him to try and listen, but Blaine had stopped by then. "Blaine was throwing up."

Burt ran his hand over his forehead as to adjust his baseball cap but he wasn't wearing one. He ended up just shaking his head with his arms crossed. "Poor kid. He just can't catch a break, can he?" Kurt shook his head. "Do you wanna go in or should I?"

Kurt looked up at his dad. "I dont think it would be a good idea if you went in, Dad. I'll go." Burt nodded and plodded his way back over to the bed and sat down. "Okay. I'm here if you need me." Kurt gave him a small half smile and listened to make sure Blaine was definitely done throwing up. He knew Blaine wouldn't want to be seen like that. He pushed the door open hesitantly and shut it behind him.

The first thing that hit him was the faint smell of vomit lingering in the room. It wasn't strong like you'd expect it to be, but Kurt supposed that despite his best efforts, Blaine still didn't eat very much to actually throw up, and he didn't know if Blaine was ill. Of course he'd thrown up, but it could have just been shock.

The second thing was Blaine. He looked so small curled up into the wall. Kurt walked around the toilet to look at him better. His skin had gone a dull grey colour and had lost the olive shade that at least his face normally had. He could see the sweat coming through his shirt and hair, but the band aids stopped it from covering his face too much.

"Hey sweetie. Were you sick?" Blaine only managed a small nod and high pitched whimper from his throat. Kurt sat down next to him and he was instantly reminded of when he sat next to Blaine in the school bathroom. "What...did I do...in my sleep?" His voice was croaky and he could manage a few syllables at a time. It broke Kurt's heart.

"You don't need to worry about that right now." Blaine huffed out a small breath and shook his head a little again. "Did I scream?" He looked up at Kurt like he was pleading. Pleading him to say no. Kurt knew if he remembered the screaming he remembered the whole nightmare that made him do it. He didn't say anything but his face had the answer written all over it. Blaine nodded as he looked back down at the floor.

"Are you sure this hasn't happened before?" Blaine shook his head, which Kurt took to mean it hadn't. "Let's get you back to bed, honey. You look exhausted." Kurt grabbed his hand. He wanted it to morning so badly so they could talk about everything, but it wasn't. Blaine whined and shook his head. "I don't want to." He was still leaning against the wall as Kurt stood up in front of him.

Kurt smiled at him sadly. "You can't stay here on the floor all night. You won't have another nightmare." Blaine looked at him to say 'how do you know'. "Okay, you could, but either I get you a nice clean shirt and you can sleep in bed, or you pass out on the floor and have even more aches in the morning. If you're going to have a nightmare it's going to happen wherever you sleep."

Blaine nodded. He was easily pliable at that point. "Good. I'll be right back." Kurt walked out the room to get Blaine another shirt, but he didn't have any other long sleeved ones that would be comfortable to sleep in. His dad was sitting facing the other way on the bed staring at something. Kurt couldn't see what it was, so he quietly grabbed a pyjama shirt from his draw. His dad would have questions and he just wanted to get himself and Blaine to sleep.

He walked back in and Blaine was trying to stand back up. "I got you a shirt. Relax, honey." Blaine looked up at him and stopped moving around. Kurt grabbed a flannel and wetted it under the tap. "Put your arms up." Blaine did what he was told with a little noise to signify he was in pain.

Kurt pulled it off as gently as he could and wiped as much of the sweat away as he could without getting all of his bandages wet. Blaine's eyes were shut as he leant against the wall. "Okay I got you a new shirt, but it doesn't have long arms. Kurt didn't know if it would matter considering his arms were almost completely covered in white bandages and everyone had already seen them, but apparently that wasn't the point.

He opened his eyes to look at Kurt, but accidentally looked down at his body in the process. As he did, he felt the wave of sickness he had before wash over him. The worst cuts had been wrapped up and covered, but the 'smaller' ones were still red raw and peeking through. The bruises on his chest were darkening and it was worse than he'd seen it. It was dark, but he couldn't make out any skin colour on himself.

He stared back at it for a second, remembering everything that happened that evening, how bad it was and his dads face while he looked over him. And then he remembered his nightmare. He breathed heavily for a second before pushing Kurt out the way as best he could, lifting the lid of the toilet and throwing up once again. Apparently he hadn't finished.

It hurt. Of course it did. But as Kurt looked on it hurt him almost as badly. Blaine slowly lifted his head up and flushed the toilet to try and rid the bathroom of the smell. He flopped back down on the wall and grabbed the shirt Kurt had been holding and slipped it on over his head while Kurt just sat there and stared at him.

"I'm gonna go get my dad okay? I just want to ask him something quickly." Kurt kissed Blaine on the forehead before leaving. He was hopeless, absolutely hopeless. He could do nothing right and he felt like it was all so real. Because it was.

"Dad?" Burt looked around from the spot on the wall he'd been staring at. "Yeah buddy?" He had to hand it to his dad, he seemed to handling this better than he was. "Do we have a bowl anywhere? In case Blaine gets sick in the night again?" Kurt knew where the bowls were, in fact he had one under his bathroom sink for that very reason. But he needed a minute to breathe, and it made him feel like the most selfish person in the world. Burt didn't seem to remember Kurt knew where they were. "There's one under your sink. Is he ill or just kinda rough?"

"I think the sight of himself made him throw up. But I'm gonna bring him back to bed now." Burt frowned and nodded. That was a lot to take in. The fact that the way you looked could make you actually make you vomit...it just boggled Burt's brains. "Do you want any help or can you manage?" Kurt shook his head. Blaine had managed to walk in there by himself, so Kurt helping him even if he was more exhausted than he had been would probably have been fine. "I can do it." He had to help in some way.

He pushed the door open, but then realised he probably would need his dad's help. Blaine's eyes were shut and his body was limp. He made a slight snoring noise that still managed to be adorable even at that time. His legs were still drawn up, but looser than they had been and his arms were draped over his stomach. The bags under his eyes were more visible now they were closed.

He was about to wake him up, but that was the last thing he wanted to do. He didn't know how long he would stay asleep for this time and his boyfriend needed every second of it. "Dad?" He stuck his head out of the door, but whispered just in case. "Can you come in here?"

His dad silently followed his instructions. His eyes were beginning to glassy, and Kurt wondered if he was on auto pilot mode to conserve all the energy he had. Burt looked down at a sleeping Blaine and then looked at Kurt. "Should I carry him? I don't think he'll wake up. He looks out of it." Kurt nodded and his father walked closer.

Because his legs were drawn up, it was easy to slip his arm under them. He managed to get his other arm around Blaine's back where he'd slumped against the wall. Burt mouthed 'one, two, three' to himself before straightening his back and taking the teenager up with him. He launched backwards further than he intended to, but it was only because Blaine was a lot lighter than he anticipated. He knew ninety four pounds would be light, but not that light.

The two men silently made their way back into the bedroom. Kurt pulled back his duvet so Burt could place down the broken boy on the mattress. He made sure his head was safely resting on the pillow. The back of his head was still fragile and that pillow was already covered in blood. They didn't need any more of it.

They pulled back the covers so he was covered everywhere. Kurt hesitantly climbed in next to him like he would suddenly explode. "Call me if anything happens, okay? Goodnight. Again." Kurt nodded at his dad before he headed back up the stairs. He settled down on the bed as comfortably as he could and fell asleep as soon as he laid still. Hopefully neither of them would wake until morning.


	11. Chapter 11

**Over 100 followers! Wooo! Commence the celebratory parade and you to everyone, I serioulsy never thought any of the stories I would write would have this much attention, especially my first one! I love all of you, people. Never forget it...And I dont know how long this will be, but I just guess I'll keep going until I find a kind of end...?**

**Anyways, next chapter is here. Its quite long, sorry if thats annoying. And also, I forgot to say you can follow me on tumblr at 'likeiknowrightnow'. I'll follow you back and you can prompt me any stories, I kinda feel like doing suggested klaine stories. But thank you again and enjoy!**

* * *

Kurt awoke to the stale smell of breath and blood. He let the haze in his eyes clear before he turned around to look at the boy lying to the other side of him. Blaine was asleep in the same position he and his dad had put him in after his nightmare. He'd faintly heard him trying to move around, but stopping when he managed to feel the pain in his sleep.

He glanced at the clock. 10:35 am. He let out a sigh of relief. Blaine had managed to make it through the whole night without another nightmare. Kurt was surprised he hadn't had a nightmare himself from the terrible night, but he couldn't even remember the dream he had had. It was like he'd shut his eyes for a couple of seconds and then opened them to find it was late in the morning.

Blaine had twitched his legs during his sleep, but it was a habit he'd always seemed to have so it didn't alarm Kurt too much. Blaine's chest was lifting shallowly up and down at an even rate, making a small gasping noise every time he breathed in. Kurt stared at him, trying to piece together what must have happened.

The swelling around his eye had gone up and he doubted Blaine would be able to see much out of it. That was probably a hard punch. Blaine's hands were still cradled around his stomach, which Kurt remembered was badly bruised. That was probably too many blows to it. The blood from the back of Blaine's head on Kurt's pillow had dried through, and the wound had probably scabbed most of the way over. That was most likely the tumble down the stairs.

Blaine took in a quick breath, and Kurt froze. It would be creepy to wake up with someone staring at you, wouldn't it? Blaine didn't open his eyes, but instead squeaked out a high pitched noise and returned to sleep deeper. He managed to shift one of his arms without stirring from the pain so that it was right next to Kurt. The white bandages spiralled down his arms to hide all the deep cuts. That must have been the knife...

No. Stop it. He wasn't going to think about that. Kurt didn't want Blaine to wake up on his own, so he laid there just gazing at his boyfriend. His hair was matted and crusty from the blood that had dried, so he couldn't run his hands through it like he normally did when Blaine fell asleep. It always seemed to make him calm. The minutes ticked by and Kurt knew Blaine needed to sleep for as long as he could, but it was getting harder and harder to lie there motionless.

His throat was getting dry from the lack of water, and it was only a matter of time before he would let out a hacking noise and woke Blaine up anyway. It would be okay if he left for just a moment, wouldn't it? Blaine didn't look like he'd wake any time soon, so he slowly slid his way out of bed, thankful his boyfriend had stayed on his own side.

His eyes were fixed onto Blaine for as long as they could before heading the rest of the way up the stairs and into the kitchen. He was expecting there be no one awake, but it was quite late after all. Burt and Carole were in the kitchen talking quietly, but as soon as Kurt came into view they stopped straightaway. He could only guess they were talking about Blaine.

"Morning, Kurt." He nodded. Normally his dad would ask how he was, but it was obvious he felt like shit. He hadn't looked at himself in the mirror before going upstairs, but his face probably showed how he felt. Carole was obviously feeling the tension in the silence that had been there for a few minutes, so she broke the ice.

"How's Blaine?" Kurt looked down at the sink where he was getting water and shrugged. "He's still asleep, which is a good thing I guess. I don't know how he'll be when he wakes up though." Carole nodded and gave Burt a look, but he wasn't sure what it meant. "He'll probably be in a lot of pain. I would've taken him to the hospital if he didn't hate it so much."

Kurt guessed this conversation wasn't over so he sat at the breakfast bar with his parents. "Kurt...how long have you known about this? With his dad?" Kurt stiffened at his dad's question. He knew how it sounded. If he'd just thought about the big picture and told someone then this wouldn't have happened. "I found out on Monday, so not very long. He didn't want me to tell anyone."

Burt nodded and gave Carole another look. "What does he want us to do exactly? Will he be living here? Is he...reporting his dad?" Kurt had no idea. Why were they asking him? He could only guess that Blaine wouldn't report his dad at all. He never wanted to; all he ever wanted was to leave but from what Kurt knew he hadn't out of fear.

"Maybe you should ask him when he wakes up." Kurt wanted to go back and wait for Blaine to wake up. "He might be my boyfriend but I don't know everything. Talk to him." Burt looked down almost like he was ashamed, and Kurt instantly felt guilty. His dad only wanted to know their situation, and he'd been shocked into it, after all.

"Sorry Dad. I didn't mean to, it's just...hard." Burt tapped his son on the shoulder and Kurt smiled sadly at him. "And thank you for everything you did last night. Everything you did for Blaine." He sipped his water and Burt nodded. They fell into a silence again, but this was a comfortable. None of them had anything to say so there was no point trying to. Kurt was happy to sit with them, forgetting about how Blaine was in his room by himself. But it turned out he wouldn't have to wait long to see him again.

* * *

Blaine's eyes snapped open quickly, and he immediately regretted it. The whiteness of the ceiling burned into his eyes and hurt his head even more than it already was. He rolled his head over to his side expecting to see Kurt, but all he saw we're rumpled bed sheets. He was alone. He looked over at the clock and read the time, 10:45 am. At least he hadn't had another nightmare. That was good...right?

He shakily eased himself up to sit and groaned in pain. He didn't know what he wanted, but he knew he wanted Kurt. He would just have to go and find him. He managed to ease himself onto his feet and only suppressed some of his noise. The pain had gotten worse than the night before. He could feel every scar, every bruise and every scrape on his body.

It took him a minute to get used to his body and how he would have to walk. It was agony, but he persevered. Maybe if he stretched his legs it would go away. He looked back at where he was sleeping and let his eyes rest on the blood stained pillow. He gritted his teeth further but turned away. He didn't want to be sick again.

He tried to think of something, anything different to the night before but he couldn't do it. The only thing that was distracting him was the terrible pain, but that just made him think of how it was caused. He limped his way over to the door, being very much reminded of slowly making his way to Kurt's, and peered up at the stairs.

It was hard enough to have to limp off both legs and not having one he could stand on securely, but he had no idea how to manoeuvre up the stairs. He swung the door open as far as it would go and gripped the walls either side of the stairs, and it burnt his arms with fire. He just froze, steadied his breathing, and took a step.

Everyone he took he let a small whine. He wanted to stop, but he wanted Kurt even more. He didn't want to have to stop or give up, or wait for Kurt to come for him. If he wanted him, he could go and get him. He remembered Carole's words about how he shouldn't strain himself, but this wasn't straining. He was just walking around. He could do that for himself.

It was harder than it should have been, some of it to blame on how he could only partially see through his one eye. The other had swollen over and when he shut the other, he could see dark, blurry shapes. He prayed to god that was only down to the swelling and not his actual eye. Blaine was trying to make as little noise as possible so no one would come and help him. He was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to be up and moving around and that whoever saw him would make him stop. Being silent reminded him vividly of the night before. Everything seemed to.

No. No it's not. It's not the same. Just...get up the stairs.

He managed to make it, but it had worn him down. He could only hold onto one wall because the two weren't close enough together to use as a vice anymore. Then, it only occurred to him that as he stopped he had no idea where he was going. He could hear a few voices, but they'd stopped for a few seconds and it didn't sound like they would start again. He just decided to walk.

He got to the living room, but no one was there. Blaine grabbed a glass of water that was sitting on the side and drank a few mouthfuls. He didn't really care whose it was, he just needed to rehydrate before making his way to the kitchen. He guessed no one would be in the dining room, so that would be a good place to check.

He approached the doorway and he could definitely hear people moving around. A normal, family morning. He felt like he was ruining their breakfast, but he wondered what it would be like. He'd never really sat around the breakfast table without it ending badly. He looked down at his body and realised it wouldn't stay normal once he walked in, but it was better than nothing. And Kurt was in there. He needed Kurt right at that moment.

He braced himself for the last stretch and tried to even his breathing so it didn't sound like he'd been struggling. He stepped away from the wall to stand on his own and winced. It was time to face it. He tried to walk through the doorway as normally as he could but failed, and ended up doing a quick but slow kind of hobble. Because of the silence, everyone was immediately aware he'd walked in.

Burt rushed over to his side as Carole was making her way over. Kurt just sat and stared at him with his mouth open. "Hey, what are you doing up?" He helped him sit down on the stool next to Kurt and his boyfriend placed an arm on his back. Blaine looked over at him warily. They were all looking at him. Why couldn't they look somewhere else? He felt on display with a short sleeved shirt on. They could all see his bright white bandages.

"I couldn't sleep anymore so I just decided to get up." Burt nodded and Carole walked over to his side. "How're you feeling? Any pain?" Blaine nearly laughed at her stupid question. He felt disgusting, as the pain he felt just walking to the kitchen was one of the most horrible things he'd felt. He shrugged at her but regretted it because it made a dull pain radiate up his spine.

"I can still take you to the hospital if you want..." Blaine shook his head. He wasn't going there. He wouldn't do it. Carole nodded and walked over to the other side of the breakfast bar. She could obviously tell how he felt. Kurt was still sitting silently. Blaine didn't really know why he was so desperate to find him in the first place.

It was silent. They were all sitting, sipping their separate drinks and giving quick looks around at each other. No one was looking at Blaine, not even Kurt was lifting his head. He couldn't help but feel like he'd ruined their morning. "Should...should I go?" His voice was deep and scratchy and it made the question sound so much different than he'd wanted it to.

"No! No, why would you leave?" Burt was the one to ask but Kurt looked intensely horrified. It was only then he spoke up. "No, you can't go home! Don't you see that now or are you still too stupid to realise?" Blaine raised his head to look at his boyfriend. That was the first thing he'd said to him all day. The first thing. He hadn't been able to say good morning, no, he'd just stare at his boyfriend after leaving him alone and then insult him.

"Kurt, I think he meant should he leave the room." Kurt looked even more horrified but this time at what had come out of his own mouth. Blaine wasn't supposed to hear that from Kurt, the one person he ran to when he needed it. He was supposed to hear it from his dad, not Kurt.

It was silent for a few seconds. Kurt's eyes were unfocused and he had a hand over his mouth. Blaine was glad. He didn't want anything else like that to come out. It may have seemed like a small insult, but he didn't need it. Not right now.

"I'm not stupid." The words cut through the air like a knife. They sounded blunt and dirty. The words might have been quiet but it was enough to disturb the silence. Kurt raked a hand over his face and through his hair. "I know you're not, I'm sorry." He placed a hand on Blaine's shoulder but he managed to shrug it off. "I'm just...not handling this very well."

Blaine laughed a small, dark chuckle. It wasn't because he found what Kurt had said was funny. "Sorry I'm such a bother for you." Kurt shook his head. "That's not how I meant it and you know it." He didn't know it. He didn't know what to believe anymore. "I just meant that this is a lot to take in. I don't like seeing you hurt. I'm trying my best to be helpful and be what you want but you're not exactly helping."

Kurt's eyes went wide. Did he just say that? He did. Blaine wasn't helping. Blaine leaned away from his boyfriend while he reached out towards him and started to stutter. "No-I didn't-" Blaine held up a hand.

"Sorry, again, didn't mean to put so much stress on you. I'm sorry I haven't helped you in the last, what, eleven hours I've been here?" Blaine apparently hadn't lost his ability to be sarcastic. The words were hurting to push, and you could hear and see it in him. Kurt just looked more like he would cry at any moment. "I was a bit busy. Maybe next time my dad decides to try and kill me I'll call you to make sure you're okay! I won't even come around next time; I'll stay where I am. I wouldn't want to give you the bother of opening your front door! Hey, if I do die next time then you won't even have to help at all!"

He put his head down and a hand on his chest. He was out of breath and the reality of what he'd just said hit him hard. Why didn't he just stay in bed? He didn't want to stay in that room anymore. He wasn't helping apparently, so he got up off his feet again to leave. Carole almost ran around the bar to try and get him to sit down, but he didn't want to listen to her. He had to go.

"Blaine! Sit down!" Burt shouted, and Blaine reacted immediately. He dug his arms into Carole's arms and hid behind her. He was using her as a shield and to prop himself up. His legs were getting weaker by the second. Carole had seen that type of things before in the hospitals and knew how to deal with it. She held the parts of his arms she could get to and said "He's not going to hurt you, honey."

Blaine nodded and limped back slowly to his seat, keeping his good eye on Burt the whole time. He moved into Kurt as soon as he sat down. He didn't care what he'd said before. He needed him, because he knew more than anything that Kurt would never hurt him. Kurt accepted him and it was like they'd never disagreed about anything in the first place.

Kurt could feel Blaine shaking in his arms and hated how terrified he was of his dad. Maybe he shouldn't have shouted, but he was just trying to help. "Look boys, I know we're all tip-toeing around this but we shouldn't be. Blaine I can tell you're in a lot of pain, but we need to lay out everything. Discuss things before they get complicated. Shall we?"

Both boys nodded, Blaine still terrified. Carole went back round to stand next to Burt and placed a hand on his shoulder. "So this right now is free space. We say anything, ask any questions and answer as best we can." Blaine didn't want to talk about it, especially with his outburst a second ago. "So I'll go first-Blaine, are you going to stay here with us? I'm totally okay with that, but you need to tell me so I can sort things out."

Blaine looked over to Kurt. His face was nothing but caring and kind and he didn't know how he could leave that house. "I don't know. I don't want to impose..." Burt shook his head and the grip on his arm tightened. He looked at Kurt so he would let go, because it was starting to get painful. "Honestly, buddy it's not a problem. We want you to stay."

He bit his lip and looked over to Kurt who nodded his head so slightly it made him wonder if he even knew he was doing it. He knew he looked pathetic slouched down with only one eye, but he didn't know. He wasn't good enough for anyone, but he couldn't go home. He didn't want anyone to see him while he was so miserable and doubting his own ability to do anything. But Kurt was here. Kurt could help.

"Okay. I'll stay." His voice was barely above a whisper, but all three people let a sigh of relief. Kurt launched forward and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. Blaine could just hear Kurt whisper "Oh thank God" before he let out a loud cry protest. He wasn't in any shape to be hugged as tightly as he was being hugged.

Kurt rushed off of him and started to say sorry over and over again. Blaine was biting down on his lip to stop tears from falling. "That brings me to my second question- I don't think you've been straight with us about how much pain you're in. How bad is it?" Blaine had learnt to hide his pain all these years so it wasn't hard to act like he was fine. Most of all he didn't want to show it in case he had to go to the hospital.

"It's not that bad..." Burt raised his eyebrows at him. He knew it was a lie. Blaine sighed. "Okay...it's the worst I've had it..." He tensed at the implication of his past injuries. Kurt rubbed small circles into his back, but only lightly like he was afraid to touch him. Carole chimed in then. "You know Blaine, there's not really a lot I can do for you here. It really would be a lot better at the hospital."

Blaine shook his head as fast as he could. He hated the hospital with a passion. They would find out as well, and more people knew then he ever wanted to. "Why do you hate the hospital so much, Blaine?" He looked up at Carole and she had nothing but kindness in her eyes. She was concerned for him. Someone was actually worried about Blaine.

"Bad memories...they'd find out about it." He picked at the material on the bottom of his shirt as a distraction. He didn't like all the attention being on him. "It would be good if they knew, Blaine. Your dad would be brought to justice." Blaine would have laughed at Burt's seriousness and the way he actually used the word 'justice' in a sentence, but he couldn't laugh.

"I don't want my dad to get in trouble." He said it quietly again because he knew it was stupid. He'd heard Kurt say that he wouldn't wait to punch his dad in the face. Shouldn't he feel the same? "Why?" It was the first question Kurt had asked. It wasn't so much a question, just a curiosity, but Blaine didn't want to answer it.

"I don't think it's his fault..." He regretted it as soon as he said it. He could see the expressions on everyone's faces. But he didn't think it was his dads fault. It was his. If he'd been a better son none of it would have happened. If he was a decent person then none of his family would of left. Everyone would be happy.

"Why isn't it his fault?" Suddenly Kurt wanted to ask everything apparently. Blaine didn't want to talk anymore. He couldn't run away. He wasn't fast enough, strong enough, to get away from this. So he just looked down at his hands. They couldn't make him talk about it. He'd make himself invisible-he could do that. He was good at it, and maybe if he was silent for long enough he would slip away and they'd talk about something else.

"Blaine..." He didn't know who said it, they all sounded the same. He shrugged. Maybe that would give them the answer that they wanted. "It's not your fault. You can talk to us if you want to." He could make that voice out to be Burt. He'd never heard him sound so caring or open to something, especially to someone dating his son.

He let out a shaky breath and felt a hand wrap around his own. He didn't look up at Kurt but he could feel him smiling supportively and silently egging him on to talk. He opened his mouth to say something, but shook his head. He couldn't think of anything to say. Burt nodded. "Well anytime. We're all here for you."

This was all so strange. People were there for him, they cared, and they wanted him to be okay. He looked into Burt's eyes and nodded. He was promising to say whatever was bothering him to someone. It probably wouldn't be him, he still didn't trust him. But he looked over to Kurt and saw the hope and worries in his eyes, and knew he could tell him anything.

He saw the quick change in his eyes but didn't look round to see what it was. He wished he had when he felt two hard slaps on his back which caused him to cry out in pain and jump off his stool to get away. He could feel the hot sting of tears in his eyes that threatened to fall. He tried to shake them off but it hurt. It was the kind of pain that managed to radiate through his whole body. It didn't help that he was standing, so he leant heavily against the bar.

"Dude! Chill out, I was just saying hey." Finn lumbered around to the fridge and opened it. Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine's back and tried to pull him back to his seat, but he couldn't. He could see Blaine's heavy breathing and the way his body was tense. He couldn't move. He just had to ride out the pain. Apparently his dad saw it too, and shook his head at his son to make him stop.

"Finn! Why did you do that!?" Carole was always the best at telling Finn off, mostly because she had the most patience. Finn didn't always understand why what he did was wrong, so she had to spell it out for him. "What? I always do that when Blaine's here. We're friends." Finn shut the fridge and looked over to Blaine, when he froze.

He finally managed to take in his bandaged arms. His battered face. The way he had to hold himself up. Something was wrong. "Woah, dude you look like Hell. What happened?" Blaine didn't answer. He unscrewed the eye that he could open and peered around to Kurt, who got the message and helped him sit down. He was still breathing deeply, so Kurt wrapped an arm around his back and sat close. He again wished he could stroke his hair.

"Finn. Shut up soon." Kurt had already figured that Finn hadn't been home that night. He'd obviously snuck out after the game to stay with Puck, or even Rachel. He knew that Finn always said something wrong and it wasn't the time for it. Kurt had already done it that morning and it didn't need to happen again. Finn just looked more offended.

"What!? He does though. His face is messed up!" Kurt wanted to mess up Finn's face. He could feel Blaine flinching slightly at the words and the way Finn's voice was raised. He was a big guy and Kurt wondered if he was scared of him too. "He is sitting right here. He can hear you so stop talking that way." Kurt was proud of himself for not going over there and sellotaping his brothers mouth shut.

"I know he's here, I'm not an idiot. I don't know if he knows I'm here through that puffy eye though." Finn chuckled to himself. No one else laughed. It may have sounded cruel, but Finn didn't really understand boundaries. He and Blaine had always joked with each other after they'd decided to be friends, and Finn had no idea of what he really happened.

Kurt was pretty sure his dad and Carole had figured or Finn had snuck out, which was making them even more irritated. They'd been getting somewhere in that conversation before Finn had ruined it. "He knows you're here because you smacked him on the back. He's already in pain and you made it worse, so thanks for that" Finn turned around to face Kurt. He looked annoyed; he didn't know why he was being nearly yelled at.

"Well I didn't mean to hurt him! Why are you fighting all his battles, why can he be the one to yell at me?"

"I'm not yelling, and I'm doing it because you put him in too much pain to talk! God, Finn."

Finn threw his hands up. "All I did was pat him on the back. That can't hurt you that badly, not even someone as weedy as Blaine!"

"Boys..." Burt was warning them to stop. He hadn't been watching them fight-he'd been watching Blaine's face twist into something even more uncomfortable and even more scared. If Kurt's arm hadn't been looped around his back He bet that Blaine would have tried to get away. They had to stop before one of them said something they would regret, and with Finn it would probably happen faster than usual.

But because it was quiet, neither of them paid attention. Carole was just standing there silent and helpless. "It can hurt someone Finn! He's already been hurt so badly that walking hurts, so yeah a pat on the back is bad. You can be such a moron sometimes!"

Finn advanced closer to Kurt and Blaine, which made Blaine squeak quietly. "Don't call me a moron! And if someone hurt him that badly then he obviously deserved it didn't he!"

And that was it. Kurt was silent. Blaine made a sort of choked squeak and lowered his head even further. He'd deserved it. Kurt gave Finn one last look of disgust before turning towards Blaine and rubbing more circles into his back and shoulders.

"Blaine he didn't mean it. You didn't deserve it, you don't deserve any of this. Don't listen." Blaine just shook his head. His face looked pained and he crossed his arms over his stomach like Kurt had seen so many times before. Finn just looked even more bewildered by the second.

"I did. I did deserve it. It wasn't his fault, it was mine. I shouldn't even be here, Kurt, I'm supposed to be there but I'm not because it's my fault!" His voice was quiet and broken, but got louder and slightly hysterical towards the end. Kurt shook his head. "You don't deserve this. You're a good person, and I'm glad you're here."

"No you're not. I shouldn't be anywhere. And I deserved it Kurt, I did." Kurt pulled him into a hug. He knew there was no point in arguing with him, so he pulled him in so Blaine could rest his forehead on Kurt's shoulder. He wasn't crying, and his arms were still wrapped around his middle, but he accepted the very one sided hug anyway.

"What the hell is going on?" Finn turned towards Carole, who looked like she was about to cry. So he looked to Burt, who gave him a cold expression in return. "Go to your room Finn. I'll be there to talk to you in a moment." Finn just nodded at Burt and exited the kitchen. Everyone heard him say "I'm so confused". He hadn't gotten the whole idea of thinking to himself.

Blaine was still buried in Kurt's shoulder and hadn't moved his arms. His breathing was loud and erratic for everyone to hear. "Blaine, d'you wanna go back downstairs?" Kurt pulled away to look him in the eye but it was hard when his head was so far down. He nodded and slipped off the chair, wincing at the pain. Kurt looped his arms around him like he had the night before and they slowly made their way to the bedroom. Kurt looked back and gave his dad a sad smile. He knew he'd probably be down there the whole day.

* * *

Kurt had been lounging in bed with Blaine for a while. Neither of them had said anything, but Blaine had managed to lie with his head on Kurt's shoulder while half resting on the headboard. He had his arms on his stomach which Kurt had been stroking. He'd calmed down from when he'd been in the kitchen and it was quite nice if Kurt didn't think about why they were there.

More than once Blaine had lightly dozed off but managed to shake himself awake before he could actually fall asleep. Kurt knew he was scared of another nightmare. Kurt's phone had been lighting up with messages from his friends asking when to meet up in their school break, but he didn't know if he wanted to leave Blaine. He didn't know if he could.

Just then there was a light knock at the door, and it swung open before Kurt could say 'come in'. Blaine hadn't moved, but when his eyes had landed on Finn bashfully standing in the doorway he sat straight up and tried to back away. Kurt sat up straighter too, and raised an eyebrow at his brother.

"Hey, dudes." He still had a smile on his face, but it was less cheerful than it had been. Blaine looked more scared of him than his dad, and that said something. He thought he deserved it, and all Burt had ever shown was kindness. It made sense, really. "Look, I was kind of a douche back there and I want to apologise. To both of you, but especially Blaine." He stepped closer and sat at the end of the bed. He tensed when he saw Blaine's wide eye trained onto his every move.

"What I said wasn't cool, and you don't deserve any of this. Carole told me what happened, and I swear I won't tell anyone. I didn't mean to like, traumatise you or anything. I just want you to know I'm sorry and that I'm here for you. We all are." He reached a fist out for Blaine to bump. "We cool?" Blaine waited a second before reaching out a hand and bumping it with Finn. He smile and left the room without another word.

Kurt wondered how many time Finn had practised that in his room because it sounded very rehearsed, but it still had all the meaning none the less. Blaine settled back to where he has been before Finn had walked in and stared off into the distance. "Are you okay, honey?" He looked like he was thinking deeper than was healthy for a person.

"I'm fine. I'll be fine." His voice was shaky, but Kurt chose to believe him. He wanted to. He needed too.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey again! I think I should have official theme music...whenever theres a new chapter just hum the batman theme. So yeah, chapter tweleve. I hope you enjoy. Sorry for the ending I kind of couldn't think of a way to end it. Thank you again to everyone who has subscribed and favourited. Review if you want, that would be nice!**

* * *

Kurt sat hunched over at the breakfast bar in the kitchen. It was Thursday, and the break from school was nearly halfway over. He'd given excuses as to why he couldn't go out, even if Blaine told him too, but just ended up turning his phone off completely. He knew that all the glee kids would know there was a reason he wouldn't hang out with them. He wondered why Blaine hadn't had any texts, but then he remembered he didn't have his phone. He'd left with the clothes on his back.

The days Blaine had been there kind of melded into one. They managed to go quickly, even if they did absolutely nothing. Blaine's body was still much too fragile to do anything, and probably wasn't being helped by the things Blaine had been doing. He didn't accept just how badly he'd been hurt, because he didn't really want to accept that all of this had happened.

He had all of his bandages changed every day, and Kurt was still surprised every time to see that he still hadn't improved. Some of the bruises had darkened, but all his cuts had failed to heal over. Most of them probably needed stitches, but Blaine wouldn't even go outside let alone the hospital. Carole had said his body was weak, and it would take much longer for it fix itself, especially without proper medical care.

Blaine had managed to have a bath to wash off all the dried blood, but it wasn't a nice event. He'd refused help on actually washing himself, and had to peel off all his bandages one by one. It was the first time he'd been able to see all his body in detail, and it didn't surprise Kurt to see it had made him throw up again. He'd just managed to wash himself before the water turned a browny- red colour and he had to get out. The water stung at his cuts, and the longer he was in there the more likely he'd scratch them and they'd re-open. He'd just changed into some clothes Carole had nipped out to get and didn't talk the rest of the night.

They'd been trying to improve his weight, but he didn't really have much of an appetite. Kurt didn't blame him. It hadn't even been a whole week, and everyone was already trying to put him on the road to recovery. But he didn't need that yet. He needed time to just sit and think, because one of the least accepting people of the whole thing was Blaine himself.

He'd gradually become more withdrawn as time went by. He refused to be alone with Burt because of how 'fatherly' he was, or wasn't in some cases. Kurt tried to tell Blaine that it wasn't silly to be scared, but he wouldn't listen. He'd sit in Kurt's room, most of the time with Kurt, and bask in the silence.

He wanted to know what was going on in his head, what he was thinking. He'd tried talking, and running his hands through Blaine's blood free hair, but he wouldn't hear it. He'd sit there, almost as if he hadn't heard it. It was hard to look him in the eyes as one was shielded over, but the one on display was almost always down on the ground or focusing on a bandaged part of his own body.

It wasn't like he wasn't trying. Whenever Kurt looked at him all he could see was how much he was trying. He was trying to be normal. He was trying to do things for himself. He was trying to make Kurt go out to enjoy the break. But most importantly, he was trying so hard to get better. But with the trying, he could also see the hurt. He couldn't hide any of it, but Kurt knew better to say anything.

But it wasn't the daytimes that had him sitting in the kitchen, wringing his hands in the hours of the morning. It wasn't those that were making him wait for his dad to wake up before Blaine did. He could deal with the silence, and the pain and occasional vomit.

It was the night times he was useless at. Or more specifically, the _nightmares._

They seemed to happen once every night. Blaine would start quietly murmuring, and work his way to screaming in fear. Burt was the only one who was able to wake him up, so every night he'd stay awake until Blaine needed him. He didn't care if he had work the next day, he'd wait until he had to go downstairs and use that deep voice of his to snap Blaine out of his dreams.

Every night Burt asked Blaine if he wanted to sleep in the same room as him, and every night he said no. Every night was the night that he said he would stop, the night he'd been fine and wouldn't wake up screaming. Burt didn't have the heart to tell him it wouldn't be. No one said anything, but they all noticed Blaine drinking huge amounts of coffee before he went to bed to try and ward off sleep, but it wouldn't work. He'd never be able to not sleep again, but that didn't mean he'd try his best not too.

He'd promised Blaine that he could stay in the spare room when he'd cleaned it out, but it was taking a lot longer than it needed too. To be honest, and he didn't think he'd ever say it, but he wanted Blaine to sleep in the same room at Kurt. Yes, he was the only one who was able to wake him up, but Kurt was the only one who could calm him down. Whenever he was woken up, he'd be terrified of everything and everyone, but Kurt could talk him down. He'd lie with him and talk to him calmly until he could fall asleep again. There'd be no point of Kurt walking up two flights of stairs in the middle of the night when he could have Blaine right next to him.

Kurt thought he could deal with the nightmares and he could. He'd hold Blaine together until he could do it himself, he'd tell him nothing could hurt him while he was there, and he'd help him dry off the fearful sweat that happened while he was asleep. And he could do that. He could. But it wasn't even those nightmares that made him want, need, to talk to his dad. It was the night that had only ended a couple of hours ago. He could remember every detail...

* * *

_'Kurt could feel the familiar jostling of Blaine next to him. He turned his bedside lamp on and was just about to shout for his dad when Blaine started to talk. He'd learnt a lot more about that night and possibly Blaine's life through his nightmares. Most of time he'd just repeat no until it had lost all meaning, but occasionally Blaine would let some information slip. _

_It normally took a while for Blaine to start screaming, and Kurt would try to get his dad downstairs before he woke up the neighbourhood, but that night he just listened. It seemed selfish, but he was curious. Blaine's voice came out dry and scared. "Please, no. Not again, no." He covered his head with his arms and his legs flinched up like his stomach had just been hit. _

_"Do it. Just do it, I can't." He flinched violently and let out a loud yell of pain. He was too stunned to call his dad, because he'd worked out what Blaine was doing. He was begging for death. He knew his dad had wanted to kill him, but for Blaine to be in so much pain he actually wanted to die? It made his head spin. _

_He turned over, and Kurt knew he was going to bruise himself like he would every night. "Dad!" He could hear his dad shuffling around on his feet like he normally did. Blaine hadn't started screaming and the sooner they woke him up the better, but it seemed different. He knew nightmares could be realistic, but not to have them be exactly the same. And the only way Blaine had managed to describe them was 'warped', so he didn't see why it would be so real. _

_He let out another yell. "Agh, no! Not that, not again!" He tossed over, and then again. He kept covering his head. Where was his dad? "Just kill me, like her!" Kurt jumped back. Like who? He wouldn't get to hear anymore, because Blaine has started to scream, unusually faster than he would have done. "Dad!" He needed him even more; Blaine was flinching around and rolling more than he'd ever seen. _

_His dad almost fell through the door. He may have been waiting up for it but it didn't make him less tired. Kurt tried to hold him down, but when he grabbed one of his wrists he noticed something. He noticed blood. All the violent movements had opened a large cut on his arm, and he needed to stop moving. _

_"Blaine!" His dad had said it the same way every time, but this time it failed. He wouldn't wake up. "BLAINE!" Maybe louder would work? Nope. Blaine continued to thrash around, and not exactly scream, but make loud noises of protest. Burt looked at Kurt mystified, before trying again. "BLAINE! WAKE UP!" It didn't work. _

_"Shit." Kurt was holding both his wrists down so Blaine was on his back. He could still kick his legs, and there were cuts opening up there as well. Burt took one hand and placed it over Blaine's mouth to muffle the noise and managed to stretch one arm over his legs to stop the moving. He was pinned to the bed, but still asleep and resisting everything they were doing to try and wake him. _

_"What now, dad?" Kurt was close to tears. He could feel his hand being soaked by the blood. He'd never made himself bleed before. Burt screwed up his face. "We could knock him out?" Kurt widened his eyes. "No! His head is already messed up, and we need to wake him up!" They stood in silence for a second. Neither knew what to do. It was at that point that Carole stumbled through the door. She didn't normally stay up for Blaine because she couldn't do anything to help. _

_Without saying a word, she walked over and placed both hands over Blaine's stomach before pressing down. That did it. His eyes snapped open and he sat up almost immediately. He managed to pull his arms from Kurt's grasp and wrapped them tightly around his stomach. Tears started to fall and his noises grew quieter. _

_Blaine hadn't been able to get back to sleep until the early hours of the morning, and Kurt hadn't gotten back to sleep at all. It took a while to wash all the blood away and even longer before Blaine could even move from the pain in his stomach. And even worse, he wouldn't talk. He didn't say a single word before drifting back to sleep. _

* * *

Kurt was still thinking about it when his dad walked in. "Morning, Kurt. You get any sleep last night?" Kurt shook his head, because he hadn't. Not after the nightmare. "That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. I have an idea." His dad raised his eyebrows in interest and told him to continue while he made his morning cup of coffee.

"I want Blaine to see someone. To help him." Burt looked confused. "You mean like a therapist?" Kurt nodded. If anyone could help, it would have to be a professional. And even then he failed to see what they could do. "That's a good idea, I'm all for it. But it's not me you have to persuade. It's Blaine."

Kurt looked at him like he'd said something in a different language. "You...you don't mind paying for it?" Burt shook his head and took a long drink from his coffee. "I'd already thought about it, and it turns out Carole knows some brain lady at the hospital. It wouldn't be as expensive, so if you can make Blaine go then I'll take him. God knows he needs it."

Kurt looked at his dad and couldn't help a big smile from breaking out. He loved him so much, and couldn't believe his dad had thought of something like that. Without saying anything he got up and wrapped his arms around his dad's stomach for a big hug. He needed it, and wanted to stay, but he wanted to talk to Blaine as soon as he could. He didn't want him to wake up alone.

"Thank you, dad. I'm gonna go talk to Blaine." Burt winked at him and nodded before taking another big drink from his coffee. "Okay. See what you can do." Kurt gave him another quick hug and half ran off to his room. "Oh, and Kurt?" He stopped and turned around. "Don't force it. He hasn't gone outside for nearly a week, I can't see him warming up to this idea." Kurt took that in mind as he turned around. As much as he wanted Blaine to do this, he couldn't force him.

* * *

Kurt creaked open the bedroom door. He walked over to bed where he was glad to see that Blaine was still asleep. As lightly as he could, he crawled onto the bed and settled on the bed next to his small boyfriend. The moving had broken Blaine from his sleep, and he inhaled sharply and squinted his eyes open. He looked over at Kurt, who gave a smile.

Blaine didn't really want to wake up yet, so as delicately as he could he shifted onto his side to rest his head on Kurt's chest. It was painful to move, but the way it felt to be held in Kurt's warm and safe arms made up for it. He didn't know how long they stayed that way before Kurt started to talk. He was awake more then, anyway.

"Blaine, can I ask you something?" His boyfriend didn't offer anything other than a grunt in reply and kept his eyes shut. Kurt knew he wasn't sleepy, but the best time to ask him would be when he was curled up safe with him. "How would you feel about maybe...seeing someone? Like a therapist." Blaine opened his eyes and slowly looked up at Kurt. He looked like he was going to cry.

"Kurt I...why?" Kurt sat up a bit so they could talk properly. "To help, maybe stop the nightmares?" Blaine's face fell even further and he sat up as slowly as he could. "I just want you to be happy, and I don't think you can do this on your own." He placed a hand lightly on Blaine's shoulder so he wouldn't be able to run away.

"But I'm trying, Kurt." It was one of the few times he was looking Kurt straight in the eyes with his one good one, and they started to well up. "I know you are, and I love you for it. But this might make it easier. My dad doesn't have to pay, so don't worry about that, and it might be nice to have someone to talk to. Please? For me?" He may have stretched the truth about it being free, but he knew Blaine wouldn't want his dad to pay for anything for him. He felt bad enough staying in his house.

"I don't want a therapist. I don't...want to _need_ one." Kurt knew Blaine wanted to feel normal. A therapist wouldn't really help that, but it could help everything else. "I know, but just think how much good it would do to have a good night's sleep. It'll probably make your body feel better as well." Blaine bit his lip. Kurt could tell he was deep in thought.

"Would...would you come with me?" Kurt broke out into a smile and nodded. He didn't think he'd be allowed into the room, but he had every intention of going to wait with and for him. He pulled Blaine into a light hug and he melted into it. He wasn't going to wait long before going to tell his dad to arrange an appointment right away.

* * *

Burt hadn't been joking when he said he'd be able to get Blaine an appointment quickly. It was only two days after he'd agreed, on Saturday, and he was already sitting in a drab waiting room. There were posters plastered all over the wall but Blaine was too unfocused to read them. There was no one else in the waiting room apart from Kurt, Burt and a moody looking receptionist.

He hadn't realised the therapist office would be in a hospital. It had taken a lot of coaxing to get him out the car, but slowly he got up the stairs. Three different people had thought he was a patient, but the clothes Carole had bought him were making him a bit more normal. He had loose sweatpants on and a long sleeved shirt. Carole hadn't let him wear those around the house in case they rubbed on his arms, but she made an exception that day.

He didn't want to be there. Not really. Why would the doctor on the other side of that door know anything? Who was she to tell him how his life was? She would take one look at him and make up her mind-poor beaten kid. That was all he'd be. Not Blaine. He'd be the thing his father had made him into.

But he was doing it for Kurt. He thought it was best, so he'd do it. Even if he sat there for an hour in silence, he could say he tried. A lot of it was the nightmare too. They had to stop, he needed them to. He was just so goddamn tired, and needed to be able to fall asleep without hurting himself and screaming the house down. He didn't see how a woman with a degree could do that, but he'd let her try.

Just then, the door opened. A woman who looked like she was in her mid-forties stepped out, with short ginger hair and a kind face. She wore a big white coat over her pair of jeans and green shirt, and it scared Blaine. It made her a doctor. It made it all real. She walked over to the corner seat where Blaine was sitting. "You must be Blaine. Nice to meet you." She stretched out a hand for him to shake.

Blaine didn't know what made him nice to meet. She'd known him for twenty seconds, which would have been less if he'd chosen to sit closer to the door. He stared at her hand. He wouldn't shake her _hand_. It was soft and clean looking, while Blaine had small, scrawny hands covered in cuts. They wouldn't fit together. And how did he know she wouldn't hurt him with that hand? He knew deep down she was a doctor who could help, but he didn't trust her yet.

She took back her hand after it was obvious Blaine wouldn't shake it. "I forgot to introduce myself- I'm Doctor Mayward." He still didn't say anything. "This is our hour. Spend it how you wish, but that's my room and I plan to sit in there. You can join me if you want." And with that she turned back around and entered her room, keeping the door that used to be shut wide open.

Blaine furrowed his eyebrows. Why wasn't she making him go with her? He didn't want to, but for some reason he hated the way the open door looked. He wanted to shut it, and she wouldn't let him unless he was on the other side. He could feel Kurt and Burt's eyes on him, but they stayed silent which he was grateful for. The doctor looked nice enough, so without any more hesitation he shakily got up to his feet. It took him a few seconds to get to the door, but when he did he gave Kurt the biggest smile he could manage, which was still quite small, and walked through, making sure to shut the door behind him.

* * *

Kurt's knee was bouncing up and down and his lip was nearly chewed all the way off. It had been two hours- double what the appointment was supposed to have been. His dad had tried to start a conversation a few times, but he wasn't listening. He could feel his phone vibrate in his pocket with texts from Tina, Rachel and Mercedes but he wasn't answering. He'd turned it on in the hopes it would keep him entertained for the hour, but he couldn't do anything other than stare at the wall.

The door clicked open and Blaine walked out slowly. He looked the same, if not more wary, than he had before he went in. Doctor Mayward walked out behind him with a hand on his shoulder. She pointed him towards a chair and he limped over towards it and sat down. The doctor then waved for Kurt and Burt to come into her room, and they looked at each other before getting up and walking in.

They sat behind a desk with her and she gave them a warm smile. "You must be Burt, we talked on the phone?" Burt nodded, and they shook hands. She turned her attention away from him. "And you must be Kurt?" He nodded, but he wasn't sure how she knew that. He wondered if Blaine had mentioned him. "Yes, I'm Kurt." He shook hands with her like his dad did. "What exactly are we doing here?"

He didn't want to seem rude, but Blaine was sitting outside on his own. He wanted to be with him. "I was going to talk to you about Blaine, if that's okay. Sorry it ran over our allotted time. You won't be charged for the extra." Burt nodded, but Kurt knew he wouldn't have cared if he was. "So how is Blaine, exactly?"

She pushed her glasses further up her nose. "Well I just have to say that I'm amazed. From what Blaine has told me I found it astounding that he has managed to make it this far, and has been able to grow into a person with friends and a boyfriend." So Blaine had mentioned him. "But despite all of that, this is one of the most drastic cases I've seen. I would like to continue to see Blaine once every two days."

Kurt's heart stopped. The _most_ drastic. Would he be okay? Would he ever be his Blaine again? Burt's eyes widened. "Every two days?" The doctor nodded. "It may seem like a lot, but to be honest you're lucky I'm letting him leave. His body and mind need the hospital, but he kept telling me he could cope and it's important he thinks for himself. I will assess his progress every time he comes back, but it might be a while before we see any changes." Kurt bit his lip.

"I also have to say- no drink, no drugs. I know they aren't legal for him right now anyway, but a lot of people over use them to avoid their problems. And Kurt, I have a question that may seem uncomfortable, but are you and Blaine sexually active?" Kurt could feel the blush on his cheeks deepening and his father's eyes on him. He shook his head, but secretly wished they were. "Thank you. I know you may not be now, but I don't want you to be until I say it's okay. A lot of people become addicted to sexual activity, but if it hasn't happened yet then I don't see that as likely." Excellent. Kurt was starting to think he would never have sex.

"And the nightmares? Can he go to school? Is there anything we can do? What exactly is wrong?" The doctor held up her hand. "Woah, okay. Should I try to answer all those for you? Okay. School starts in a week, and I'll assess whether he should go to school closer to the time. But my guess is that it will be fine for him to go in." Kurt nodded. He didn't think he would leave Blaine's side at school.

"The other questions are slightly harder to answer because they don't really have a specific answer. For Blaine to go through the degree of abuse he did would affect anyone, but to have it his whole life and for it to mixed with abandonment will cause long-term issues." Kurt was confused.

"Why has he never had them before? If he's had it all his life why has all this just started?" She nodded. "It's a good question, but it's because it's the breaking point. While it was happening, Blaine could cope because it was just his life. But now it's over, he can allow himself to feel everything he'd suppressed. He has realised just how bad it is, and because you know he lets himself feel everything around you. While you were dating and it was a secret, he could control himself a bit more."

Kurt was starting to like this doctor. She explained everything so well, and he knew she genuinely cared. "As for the nightmares, I'm not quite sure. It's easier to help Blaine in his day to day life because he knows everything that's going on. But when we're asleep, our brain gains control. Blaine can't control what he dreams about and neither can I. But I will try. We can try to make them less frequent and less scary. They may not completely go away, but I do have a good outlook for the end result."

They may never stop. That was all he heard. At least they would get better. But what would happen in the future, when they were living on their own and Kurt wouldn't be able to wake him? What if they ever had children and Blaine would wake them up with his screaming? Would Blaine even be able to have children?

"As for day to day, there isn't a lot to do apart from stick to a regime as normal as possible. I have a booklet for you to read, but when you take it make sure Blaine doesn't find it. I've written my number on the front so call if anything happens. If you don't have any other questions then I'll see you on Monday." Kurt went to stand up, but Burt was still sitting down.

"What's going to happen to his dad?" Kurt could hear the hatred in his voice. He was gripping the arms of his chair lightly and staring at the doctor. She bit her lip. "I haven't told Blaine this yet because I know he doesn't want to hear it, but legally I can't let Blaine's father stay free. I will have to tell the authorities, but I would like to tell Blaine first. If you don't mention it I would appreciate it."

They said their goodbyes and left. Blaine was still sitting in the corner looking at his shoes. His head snapped at the noise of the door clicking open but his face softened when he saw Kurt. They smiled at each other and Kurt wrapped an arm around his waist and they made their way home.

No one said anything in the car, they didn't need too. Blaine was looking at Kurt a few more times, and it made his heart swell. He was looking at him with love and trust, and he was hoping his face was doing the same for him. Blaine looked scared to, but he stretched out his hand towards Kurt, and his jaw nearly dropped. He grabbed it lightly. Kurt didn't know how the doctor had been able to achieve something like that in just two hours. Two hours had done this. He couldn't wait until the end of the week.

* * *

Kurt was sitting on his bed reading the book Doctor Mayward had given him. It was full of things for him to do. Grounding Blaine when he was confused, different therapies, thoughts and feelings. It was all a bit overwhelming. Most of the pages had a little note on them saying which ones would be useful, which ones he should read especially carefully. He seriously loved this doctor, but he wondered when she had time to do this. He was flicking through when he found one that stood out-music therapy. On the bottom was a quickly scrawled note.

_"Blaine told me he was in glee club- this one might be a good one to try. It probably won't even feel like therapy to him, so it's benefiting that way. But maybe try when his body is a bit better." _

After he finished her hand written note he went on to read what she'd typed up. It seemed simple enough. It was just dancing around and singing-he could do that, it was basically glee club. He could see how it would help, how messing around could help him let go and forget for a while. But he'd have to wait for his body to get better. That would be fine.

Blaine walked out of the bathroom and Kurt stashed the book under his pillow-he'd move it in a minute. "You okay?" Blaine nodded. He fidgeted up next to Kurt and leant against his shoulder. "Thank you for making me go today." Kurt smiled and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "That's okay. I love you, Blaine."

"I love you, too."


	13. Chapter 13

**Did you hum the batman theme? Nah? Oh well. Chapter thirteen, this story is so long I think I'm getting a bit carried away. But if you like it then I'm not worried. I hope you like the chapter, please review so I know you like it and if you have any suggestions for future chapters I'll try and incorporate them. Follow me on tumblr so we can be internet friends- likeiknowrightnow. Enjoy!**

**I haven't done this in a while so- I don't own glee.**

* * *

Kurt was sitting at the breakfast table watching Blaine eat oatmeal with no enthusiasm. He was limply lifting his arm up, and turned his nose up before every bite. He knew Blaine liked the taste; he'd had it before and loved it- it was just that he didn't want to eat. Kurt didn't know why, but he was going to pretend to be on his phone the whole time Blaine ate to make sure it was all gone.

It was Friday, and there were only really two whole days until they had to go back to school. As he sat there, he was scrolling through all the messages he had. He'd never thought of himself as popular, but he had at least six messages from every single member of new directions- some of the girls sending him more than eighty. He probably should've told them all he wouldn't be able to do anything- or _at least_ replied- but he just kept staring at the keyboard and having no idea what to write.

He could see all the texts getting more and more annoyed. He didn't want to go back to school and feel the moody wrath of Mercedes Jones, or worse, Rachel Berry. Kurt was amazed Finn had been able to actually keep her away from their house. He loved them and he would be lying if he said he hadn't wanted to see them, but Blaine needed him more. His boyfriend had told him many times to go out, but he couldn't leave him.

During the last week and his few appointments with Doctor Mayward, he'd come a bit more to terms with his injuries and was letting Kurt do things to help him heal faster. He was willing to let Kurt help him to walk around, to change the bandages of his less gruesome wounds and he hadn't worn a long sleeved top for the whole week while he was inside. That was why his scars were on show that day, because they'd healed enough to have the covering taken off at least for a few hours until Carole got home.

Kurt was seeing real progress with Blaine every day of that week. They weren't big things; they were smaller but _so_ significant. He wanted to bottle them up and keep them for a day when he was feeling low to relive how good it felt.

That Monday had been the first time Kurt had heard him laugh since he'd arrived. It didn't last long and it wasn't that loud, but it was still an expression that he was nothing but happy. He couldn't remember exactly what he'd been laughing at, but he could just replay the look on his face over and over again. It was a big step.

Blaine kept having baths because he couldn't stand long enough to have a shower, and it strained his arms to wash himself. That Tuesday had been the day Blaine had actually asked Kurt to help him with it. He hadn't let Kurt see him completely naked, but he let him wash water over the bruises and cuts he couldn't reach. And he'd done it all without being sick.

Wednesday was the day Blaine had managed to walk up the stairs without losing his breath or having to grip the walls the whole way. He was still limping heavily, but it was amazing to see him get up. It was a small achievement compared to Thursday when Blaine had kissed Kurt first. Sure, Kurt had kissed him while he'd been there, but it was on the forehead or cheek. He hadn't wanted to be too intimate by kissing him on the lips. But Blaine had. It was just a peck and he'd looked nervous to do it, but it made Kurt want to dance around the room. If he'd wanted to do that he might want to do anything.

The nightmares hadn't improved, but Kurt could understand that. He knew it would take a while for it to improve, and even then it wouldn't be a lot. Blaine still hadn't moved rooms, but he was doing exactly what the doctor told him to, and always told Kurt exactly what happened in the dream. A lot of things that Blaine told him were scary and dark, almost enough to cause his own bad dreams, but he listened. Blaine talked, and he would listen.

He put his phone down. He didn't need to reply, he'd just face them all at school. It wouldn't be like when he got there they'd know nothing had happened- they'd be able to see it all over Blaine's face. There were still bruises and cuts all over there as well, and he couldn't shield those with clothing. One of his eyes was still hurt, which was worrying. Carole had made him wear a patch over the last week while the swelling went down. He was yet to talk to him about what excuse he was going to give all the glee kids, but he could do that later.

Blaine scraped the last of the oatmeal from his bowl and swallowed it down. Kurt couldn't stop a smile from spreading across his face. That was something for that day too. The first time Blaine had actually eaten a whole meal. He looked up and saw Kurt grinning like a crazy person, and smiled back. It was a big but still shy smile that spread across almost all of his face. Kurt didn't care what marks he had on his skin. His amazing smile, fluffy hair and the love he still managed to show was enough to make him fall in love all over again.

Just then the doorbell rang, and Kurt had to stop himself from groaning. He didn't want to get up, he wanted to stay sitting with Blaine. They weren't touching or really even sitting that close, but Kurt felt it was probably the most intimate that they'd been in those two weeks. They were looking at each other like they had before, and he could feel the love in Blaine's eyes.

"I got it!" Kurt was thankful for his dad at that moment. Blaine smiled further, and slowly got to his feet. Kurt didn't like him moving around. He could tell it hurt even when he dialled it down, and he didn't want him to choose to be in pain. He didn't say anything because Blaine was still looking him straight in the eye. Blaine sat himself down in the chair next to Kurt.

"Hey there." Kurt was even closer to the boy he loved, but that was the only thing he could think of to say. Blaine blushed lightly and looked down. Kurt didn't know why he was embarrassed, but at least he was still smiling. Kurt leant his head on his shoulder and breathed in deeply. In that very moment, he was so content. Blaine smelt like coffee and fruit, and for some reason it was intoxicating.

He leant in and kissed Blaine. He was surprised at first and backed away, but soon melted in and kissed Kurt back. It was slow and steady, but both of them knew it was a big step. Kurt never wanted to stop. He could feel his old boyfriend starting to peek through, and he didn't want to scare him away. He didn't think he would until he recognised the voices from the door, and they were getting closer and closer.

It was Rachel and Mercedes.

He could hear them coming towards the kitchen. His dad must have only let them in because they were in glee club, and even then he still couldn't believe it. What if they saw Blaine? He wasn't prepared like he would be at school, and his sleeves were dangerously short. Kurt pulled away from a confused looking Blaine, and told him he'd be right back. He couldn't let them into the kitchen.

He jogged through the kitchen doorway and met them half way through the living room. He was practically blocking their way to the kitchen, praying they wouldn't want to go in there. He had to get them to leave. The girls didn't look impressed. "Hey Kurt. Nice to know you're still alive." Mercedes said. He felt a bit guilty; she was his best and first friend after all. But Blaine was his boyfriend.

"Sorry about that, my phone was off." Mercedes raised an eyebrow and Rachel scoffed. "What, off for two weeks? You always have your phone." That was true. He was never without it, but as they were talking it was still on the countertop in the kitchen. "It was off, Rachel. I was busy." The girls tried to step forward but he stood in front of them. Mercedes was taking of her coat. She obviously thought she was staying.

"Busy with what?" Rachel had her eyebrows raised and a high voice. She was serious. "That's none of your business." He crossed his arms. If they could be mad so could he. "We're your friends, it is our business. If its big enough to keep you locked away for two weeks then you need to tell us!"

He didn't need to tell them. Who were they to barge into his house and demand to know his secret? Did they know no boundaries? Yes, he should have told them but he couldn't. It was Blaine's story to tell, not his. "I don't have to tell you anything, Mercedes. And I'm actually busy with it right now, so I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

The girls' jaws dropped open. Kurt still had his arms crossed and what he hoped was a stern look on his face. "I can't believe you, Kurt. We thought we could help. You don't have to be a jerk about it." Mercedes started to put her coat on again. Kurt was trying to think of something to say back but it turned out he didn't need too. It was then a voice flew out from the kitchen.

"Kurt? Are...are you still there?" It was Blaine, and his voice was slightly shaky. He understood how going from making out and then being totally along could confuse him, but he wished he hadn't said anything. The looks on the girl's faces harden. He closed his eyes and sighed. This wouldn't be good.

"You ditched us to hang out with your boyfriend?" Rachel's voice was high and shrill. "Important business, huh? We have to leave? Why, so you can get it on with Blaine?" Kurt knew how this looked. But he had to answer Blaine before he answered them. "Yeah I'm just in the living room. I'll be back in a second."

Blaine's ears had been a bit messed up since that night, so he did have to shout. It wasn't like he was deaf, he just couldn't sometimes hear quieter things, so probably hadn't been able to hear Rachel's and Mercedes voices. He turned back to them. "Yes, I have been with Blaine the whole time. But it's not what you think. I had to be."

Mercedes scoffed this time. "Oh you had to be? You could have at least told us you would be him! Don't just disappear!" Kurt was torn between feeling guilty and angry. Blaine decided to interrupt again. "Can...can you come help me? I don't mind, but...I was just...don't worry."

Yep. That made it sound so much better. Blaine hated asking for help, but when he did it was always something he physically couldn't do. He had to go help him, like now. "Yeah, I'll be there in a second okay? Just hold on." He heard a quiet thank you from the kitchen.

"What, is Blaine making you into, like, his man slave? That's real nice." _What!?_ How did they get to that conclusion? Kurt didn't understand how they couldn't hear the shakiness and hurt in his small voice. He couldn't say anything before they both managed to push past him. "No! No don't!" But they didn't listen.

He ran alongside them and they all got to the kitchen at the same time, so they all saw Blaine in the same moment. The girls faces soften and their jaws dropped even further than they were before. Blaine stared back. Kurt didn't exactly know how he'd got into the situation he was in, but he just knew he had to help.

His make-shift eye patch was ripped and sitting on the counter, and his unveiled eye was milky and clouded over. His eyelid was twitching a lot and Kurt didn't know if he could even see anything out of it. One of the cuts on his arm was open and dripping blood all over him. But worst of all was the expression on his face. He was staring at Mercedes and Rachel with a lot of pure fear. It was like his whole body was being consumed by it.

Mercedes was staring at his arms which were still on show from his short sleeves. Rachel was looking intently at his eyes and the difference between the two. "Blaine, oh my god, what the hell happened to you?" Rachel stepped forwards towards him but he stepped away until the back of his legs hit the kitchen counter.

His eyes flicked towards Kurt and they said one thing- help me. Kurt walked over to his side and wrapped an arm around his back. He wasn't focusing on the girls, just Blaine. "What happened? Are you okay?" He just quietly whimpered in response and kept staring at them. "Kurt what's wrong with him?" Mercedes gestured a hand out to him but Blaine jumped backwards from it. He couldn't stand for much longer so he edged his way to a seat.

"Kurt," his voice was so quiet he wondered if he could even hear it himself. "Yeah, honey?" Blaine's breath was shallow and shaky. He wrapped his arms around his waist and was trying his best to shield his arms from view. "Make them stop." Kurt looked over at the girls who looked the most confused he'd ever seen them. It was a lot to ambush them with, but even more to Blaine.

"Stop what?" Kurt tried to position himself in front of Blaine so he was out of view, but ended up just standing at his side. "Staring." He looked back over and thought they would take the hint, but they just carried on gawping with their mouths open. "Guys, can you wait in the living room?" He knew they weren't going to leave, the best he could do was make them get out of the room.

"But Kurt," Mercedes said "We just want-" "Now, Mercedes. Please?" He gestured slightly towards a small and slightly shivering Blaine. His arm was still bleeding and blood threatening to drop on the floor. "Okay. But please come talk to us in a second?" Kurt nodded, and they both left to go and sit in the living room.

Kurt knelt so he was eye level with his boyfriend. "Blaine, honey? Are you okay? How did this happen?" He didn't answer, he was still staring straight ahead. One of his eyes was pointed towards the living room doorway, and the other was milky white so he had no idea where it was looking. He was just shaking his head and cradling his damaged arm.

"Blaine, I need you to tell me how badly you're hurt. How did you do this to your arm?" He made a high squeak in return. The eyepatch on the side was ripped on the strap. He had no idea how he managed to do that. "Come on, let's go to my room and get this cleaned up." Kurt had gotten quite good at cleaning cuts and dealing with Blaine when he got like this. He just hoped he'd get him to talk.

* * *

It had taken fifteen minutes, but Blaine's arm was clean and wrapped up again. He'd calmed down, but what just happened had a big effect on him. He hadn't expected them, and everything was on show. He wasn't even sure of he was ready to go back to school. Kurt could see him blinking his bad eye rapidly. He was twitching it around and closing his normal eye to test his other one.

"Are you okay?" Kurt stood in front of Blaine who was perched on the end of the bed. He'd just finished putting away all the medical supplies. Blaine whimpered before replying. "I...I can't really...see." He looked up at Kurt. "I can't see." He looked like he was about to cry and Kurt didn't blame him. His dad had taken so much from him, and just as he was starting to improve he finds out he could have lost something forever because of him.

"Shh, it's okay. Carole gets home soon so she can take a look at your eye." He sat next to him and ran a hand through his hair to calm him. "Is it just that one?" Blaine nodded and let out a shaky breath. That was fine. He didn't know what he'd do if Blaine was completely blind. He'd stay, of course, but it would be so different. Being blind in just one eye would be so different.

"They know now, don't they?" His voice had turned darker and he hunched his shoulders forward. Kurt knew exactly what he was talking about, and laid a hand gently on his back. "No, they don't. They just think you're hurt. And if they did find out they wouldn't tell anyone." Blaine shook his head. "They would. I know it. No one will see me the same."

He sounded so defeated. "They will. None of this is your fault, and they don't even know. We don't have to tell them." Blaine just shrugged meekly and looked at the floor. Kurt bit his lip. As much as he'd read the booklet Doctor Mayward had given him, he had no idea what to do. Then he remembered. Maybe there was one thing he could do to help.

"Do you wanna call Doctor Mayward and talk to her? I'm sure she'll give much better advice than I can." He kept rubbing small circles into his back and Blaine shrugged. "I don't want to bother her." Kurt leant backwards and grabbed his pamphlet from the draw. He ripped off her number from the front so Blaine wouldn't see the rest, and sat forward.

"I have her number. She told you to call whenever you need to talk to her. She wouldn't have given it if she didn't mean it, so use it. This is important and if you need to call her, call her. Please?" Blaine looked up and he was fighting tears. He held out a hand. "Okay. I'll call her." Kurt smiled and handed him the phone in his room and her number. He left the room so he could talk to Rachel and Mercedes.

* * *

He walked into the room with his arms crossed. Both girls were sitting on the couch but neither of them were talking. As soon as they saw Kurt they both stood up and Rachel spoke first. "Is...is he okay?" They both looked genuinely worried for him. Kurt just simply shrugged in reply. Because he had no idea if Blaine was going to be okay.

"Kurt, what happened to him?" He shook his head. "I can't tell you. If he wants to tell you, he can. But I don't see that as likely." He was referring back to all his fancy words and talk. That's what he always did when he was mad or confronted by bullies. "Can we at least go and say sorry to him?"

He sighed again. All he wanted, honestly, was for them both to leave so he could go and sit with Blaine. He was more concerned about Blaine's possible blindness than whether they could they could throw a sorry his way that wouldn't mean anything to him. He ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know. I'm guessing not. He probably won't listen to anything you say and he's on the phone with Doc-" He bit his lip. "He's on the phone."

Rachel and Mercedes nodded at each other. "Should we just go? We don't want to abandon you, but..." Kurt could sense the end of Mercedes sentence. They wouldn't be any good here. "It's not that I want you to go, it's just that I can't really hang out. I have missed you. But yeah I think you should go."

Both girls hugged him to death before leaving, and told him to text them when Blaine was okay. He promised to-he didn't know when Blaine would be okay- but he still promised. As soon as the door shut he ran back down to his room to check on his boyfriend. He was sitting against the backboard of Kurt's bed with the phone still in his hand.

He was meant to go and see Doctor Mayward later that afternoon but wondered if he really needed to after he'd spoken to her on the phone. "Is it okay if I come in?" He whispered it so as to not disturb their conversation. Blaine looked at him for a second and nodded. He was silent, so the Doctor must have been talking. He sat beside Blaine at the back of the bed just so his presence could be felt.

Blaine didn't really offer much through the phone, he could only guess he told her everything before he got there. He could hear the doctor's voice on the other end but couldn't make out any words. But that was fine. He didn't need to know what they were saying, he just wanted to be there. He kept staring at Blaine's eye and just kept praying Carole wouldn't be late today.

* * *

All Blaine could think of was _why?_ Why had this happened to him? The doctor had been trying to tell him it wasn't his fault, that he hadn't deserved it, but when so many I these things went wrong it was hard to believe he hadn't done _something_. As soon as Carole walked in and saw him she told him he wasn't going anywhere, even to therapy. It was hard to hide the fact that he was disappointed. It was hard to believe, but he did like seeing her even if he didn't say anything.

And at that moment he really didn't feel like saying anything, especially with Carole asking him questions about his eye. "Okay, can you close your good eye for me?" He did as he was told to get it over with as quickly as possible. He was just tired. He needed to sleep without the nightmares, or just be awake without the pain and fatigue. Everything seemed to be getting worse. He didn't feel like he could come back from any of this.

"Okay, can you tell me what you see now?" Carole was trying to be as caring as possible but it was hard to care. Everything was a fuzzy black colour, and there was a lighter patch where the light was. There were some shapes, but it was hard to tell if they were actually real things. He tried to move his eye around but he couldn't tell if he was doing it or not. "It's just dark. It's not like pitch black, but it's not normal." He just wanted to sleep. He just wanted to see.

"Okay, open your eye and try to catch this ball." He opened his eye and saw Carole opposite him holding a small red ball. He held out his arms and hoped she wouldn't throw it too hard and hurt his arms. But it turned out that wouldn't be the problem, because when she softly threw it Blaine didn't catch it. His arms had gone to the side. He looked up at Carole confused.

She sat down next to him. "I'm not really trained for this type of thing, and it would be easier in a hospital-" Blaine shook his head vigorously "- but I think I know what's wrong. Your eye must have been hurt worse than I thought. I thought it was just swollen over. I think the back of your eye has been damaged which is why you can't see. The white part is just fluid I think. It's been two weeks, so I'm not surprised that's happened. It might dissolve away on its own or you could have it taken out with a syringe."

Blaine whimpered. He didn't want a needle in his eye, but if it was white he'd had another reason for people to stare at him for. "It's okay, that's only if you want. It wouldn't hurt, but you'd have to go to the hospital and I know that's not happening. How much does it hurt?" He shrugged. He'd been focusing entirely on the pain in his body, and because he couldn't see over the swollen flesh he hadn't known he couldn't see.

"It hurt a lot on the night, and it still does but I've kind of been ignoring it." He chewed his lip. He needed to ask the question that was on his lip but he didn't know if he'd like the answer. "Will it get better? Will I...be able to see?" Carole's face fell further. "Blaine, I can't really tell. The only thing I do know is that the back of your eye has been knocked out place, probably from the pressure of a punch or something. I'm not going to be able to tell without a proper exam."

Well that wasn't happening. He didn't care, he wasn't going to see a doctor for his body. Just his mind. "Injuries like this can be hard to fix. The eye is very fragile and if you can't see now then I don't think you're going to be able to again." Blaine tried not frown but couldn't help it. His father had taken his sight. That wasn't something he should ever lose, especially not at the hands of his own dad.

He felt a warm hand coil around his. It was Kurt. He'd been sitting next to him the whole time to support him, but he didn't feel like he could look at him anymore. He was so embarrassed but he didn't know why, so he looked down at the floor. "Are you okay?" He shook his head to Kurt's cool voice. How could any of this be okay? How did he think Blaine would just carry on after this? He was _half blind,_ of course he wasn't okay.

"It's not that bad Blaine. It's only one eye." Carole said. He scoffed. They obviously had two for a reason, it wasn't like one was a spare or a safety net. He needed them both. "Really, it's not. You'll still be able to do everything." It didn't feel that way. He felt helpless and small. "Except catch balls." His voice was meaner than he'd meant it to be, especially as they were trying to help him.

He heard Carole sigh. "Yes, you might have some trouble with depth perception for a while. But you can learn again. It won't be hard. Everything will be the same I promise." He felt her hand on his shoulder and it felt so...motherly. She cared about him. "I don't want to learn again. I want to be fine and I'm not." His voice was breaking and changing pitch, but he refused to cry.

Neither of them knew what to say. They just sat there in silence for a while, until Carole went upstairs to cook dinner. It was just the two boys. "I know you hate the world right now, and you deserve to, but if you hold on then I know everything will be fine. You just need time, and it can go fast. You'll wake up and all of this will be gone."

He just shrugged and got to his feet. "I'll wake up because I had a nightmare. I know you're trying, _I'm_ trying, but it just feels like I have no more time to give. I'll be upstairs." He turned around and headed to the living room. He was tired and needed Kurt's help, but he didn't want it. He'd do it himself.

He struggled upwards and eventually got to the top. He was out of breath and his legs were killing him. He remembered walking up them on Wednesday and it wasn't nearly as bad. But then it hit him that as good as he was feeling that day, he still had to have Kurt help to the living room. He couldn't do it. He couldn't do anything right.

He let out a quiet choked sob and slid down the wall. The way he was sitting ached but he knew it would hurt more if he moved his body around. He just sat and buried his head in his knees. He only needed to close one eye now to shut everything out, so apparently that was a plus in his mind now. Maybe he would just sit there.

He would just sit there until things got better.


	14. Chapter 14

**Well hey...this chapters a bit late but its Saturday so its fine. I actually wrote this chapter, didn't like it, and wrote it again. Yay. But I hope you like this and I promise something actually interestin will happen next chapter. Please review, I'd like to maybe get some more to know what you think a bit more. Again, I have no idea how long this story will be...but oh well. Follow me on tumblr, likeiknowrightnow. Thank you, love you guys!**

* * *

Kurt didn't want to go to school. He'd managed not to wake Blaine up the whole time he'd been getting ready, but now he couldn't bring himself to leave. After how he'd reacted to Rachel and Mercedes, the doctor decided it would've been better to stay at home for a bit longer. His body hadn't healed very much at all either, and Carole doubted he'd be able to make it around school for a whole day.

Of course Burt hadn't let Kurt stay home as well no matter how much he begged. He felt like the worst boyfriend in the world just leaving him there, but he knew he wouldn't be totally alone. He was pretty sure Carole had the day off, so she would be able to help. It wasn't just that he wanted someone to be with Blaine, it was that Blaine wasn't even able to be alone.

Kurt was counting how many minutes he had left before he absolutely had to leave for school without being late. He had just finished writing a note to leave for Blaine to read, and was sitting on the bed with him. Blaine had rolled himself so he was clutching at the sides of his legs and his head on his stomach.

The silence was nice. Blaine was warm on him and wondered if anyone would notice if he stayed home. Blaine wouldn't tell on him. From where Blaine was lying on him he could see the big scar that ran across the back of his head. It seemed overlooked to him, because it was really the first time he'd given it any attention.

It was a pretty large gash that ran across the back of his head. It looked painful, and Kurt had to throw away not just the pillow cover but the actual pillow he had rested it on while it was bleeding. Kurt lightly skimmed his fingers across it, but from the way the fingers that were draped across him tightened, he stopped.

He had to leave for school. He glanced over to the clock and if he left much late he'd definitely be late. Kurt eased himself off the bed, but Blaine started awake from the way he'd been jostled. He looked blearily up at Kurt. He reached over and stroked the top of his head and cheek.

"Shh, go back to sleep sweetie." Blaine grumbled in protest but still laid his head back down and shut his eyes. Kurt bent down and kissed him on the forehead, and traced his fingers down Blaine's arms as he walked away. He had dark purple bags under his eyes and his skin was pale and sunken. The nightmare he'd had the night before was terrible, and Kurt doubted Blaine had even gotten an hour of sleep afterwards.

The nightmares woke everyone up, except Finn who could sleep through anything, but it was worst for Blaine. They scared him and while Kurt had gotten back to sleep easily last night, Blaine had been rigid and shaking for hours. The exhaustion was getting to him, so Kurt was glad he was going back to sleep. He just hoped the moment he'd been awake wouldn't cause him another nightmare.

As he headed up the stairs he didn't even bother to check himself in the mirror. He didn't really care what he looked like because he was pretty sure he'd be spending most of the day answering questions about Blaine. He knew Rachel and Mercedes would have told the whole glee club, and they would all have their own twisted versions for him to put straight.

He shouted goodbye to Carole and his dad before heading to his car. As he did, he turned on his phone that had been off since he'd replied to the girls. Kurt wasn't surprised to get one from all the glee members asking what was wrong with Blaine. He just wished for once that his friend could keep their mouths shut.

He sighed and started the car. At least if he was late he'd a have a few lessons before the questions started. He turned his phone up to the loudest it could go in case anyone at home had to call him, and drove. It made his heart hurt more and more the further away he got. He just hoped the school day would go quickly.

* * *

Burt didn't like this. He didn't like it at all. The house was eerily quiet after Carole had left for work, and he had to keep reminding himself that Blaine was there as well. He sat watching a football with the volume down low so he wouldn't wake him- he knew how exhausted Blaine was becoming through all of it.

Burt knew that Blaine was absolutely terrified of him, and that was why he wasn't keen on being alone in the house with him. He refused to be alone in the same room, so what would happen while he was alone with him and no one else? He didn't know, but did know it wouldn't be good.

Worst of all, he hated lying to Kurt. He'd told his son that Carole would be staying home, not him. They'd all thought that Blaine would've recovered more and he'd be at school, so when Carole found out otherwise it was too late for her to get the time off work. Kurt never would have let Burt look after his boyfriend because of how terrified he was of him.

But what Kurt didn't know wouldn't hurt him. Burt just hoped that Blaine would stay asleep until he had to go to therapy. His appointment that was meant to be on Friday had been moved to Monday, so she would see him three days in a row. Burt couldn't really comprehend how that boy he used to know had turned into this one. He'd turned into someone he didn't recognise, a shivering wreck that could be sent into a downward spiral of panic at a single word.

Maybe one day he'd change back, and he'd be able to cope without Kurt around. That was something else he wanted to help Blaine with. He needed to learn how to be alone with Burt or Finn in case one day he needed to be.

He'd been watching television for about ten minutes, and Kurt's bedroom had stayed silent. He was just about to get up and get a drink when he heard a small noise float down the hallway. It wasn't a scream, it sounded more like sobbing or a weak cry for help. Burt knew that the nightmares got worse and worse, so it might be better to wake him up now.

He headed down the stairs, but stopped outside the door. He didn't know if Blaine was having a nightmare, and if he wasn't then Burt was practically ambushing him. He waited for a sign or noise that Blaine was in distress, but after a few minutes of silence he headed back upstairs. Hopefully he wouldn't have another nightmare and would sleep for a bit. God knew he needed it.

It was about thirty minutes later when he heard from Blaine again. The game was still on when he heard a small voice. "Carole?" Blaine's voice was shaking like he was crying or in pain, and Burt jumped off the couch. He was about to descend down the stairs when Blaine shouted for Carole again, and Burt stopped. He wasn't expecting him.

He knocked timidly on the door and tried to use his nicest voice. "Carole's not here, it's just me. Can I come in?" He heard a whimper from the other side. Burt hated how the bastard Blaine called his father could make him so afraid of anyone bigger than him. He could hear him shuffling around, and another whimper which sounded like it was caused by pain.

"No." Blaine's voice was very high. Burt sighed. "Look, I'm not gonna do anything. Just let me help, okay?" He could practically hear Blaine thinking. "No, I'm fine." The springs in the bed squeaked, so Blaine was sitting down. But Burt didn't care, he needed to get in. "Why did you call Carole if you're fine?"

"Um...To say hi?" He grabbed the door handle. Something was wrong and big or small, he had to help. "I'm coming in, okay?" He didn't wait for a reply and pushed the door open gently. He was met with two wide staring at him in terror. Blaine was hunched up against the backboard. Burt guessed that was what he was going to be met with. He wasn't prepared for what else he saw though...

* * *

Blaine was back there again. His father was looming over him with power and control. Blaine wasn't screaming though. He kept telling himself it was a dream, that it wasn't real and that he could wake up anytime he wanted to. Because he'd woken up only briefly, he was in a state of being asleep and awake.

But he couldn't wake up. His brain was wresting between consciousnesses but neither was winning or losing. He thought maybe if he let out a noise or scream for help someone would wake him up. He let out a noise but he didn't know how loud it was. Maybe someone would help.

But his father just stayed in his vision, and the blurry line of being awake was getting harder to cross. He flailed his body in his dream to maybe push his father away, but instead the dream disappeared and he smacked his hand on the bedside table. He was shocked awake and sat up cradling his hand.

It took a couple of seconds for the fuzz to fade until Blaine realised he was awake, and that the pain in his hand was very real. He checked it over and it didn't look like much major damage had been done. He looked over at the clock, and school hadn't started very long ago. Kurt wasn't there.

He switched on the light even though it wasn't dark and sat up to try and clear his head. He looked around and tried to stretch out all the knots in his back before he noticed a folded piece of paper with his name on it. It was in Kurt's hand writing, so he shot his arm out to read it. He wanted to feel like Kurt was there. As he unfolded it, it even smelt like his boyfriend. His squinted his one working eye and read.

"_Dear Blaine,_

_Good morning! I didn't want to wake you up while I was getting ready, I thought you'd rather sleep. I have to go to school, I wish I didn't but my dad is making me (we'll get our revenge at some point!). I'd much rather spend today with lovely you. _

_Carole's staying home with you today so if you need anything then you can ask her. I swear you're like her favourite son out of all of us. She has to take you to see Doctor Mayward today as well, tell me how it goes later?_

_Anyways, Glee club is on today and I'm going to go so I can fill you in when I get home. Sectionals awaits! I'm pretty sure they're all going to ask me stuff about you but I won't answer any of them. Text me if you have any ideas of what to say?_

_That's all, I hope you have a really good day while I have to go 'learn' or whatever. I'll text you and I'm getting your homework, look forward to it! _

_I love you so much, have fun with Carole! I'll see you later._

_Kurt xxx_"

Blaine put the letter down and smiled. He could almost picture Kurt writing it and thinking so hard about what to put in it. He put it down and got up. He didn't really feel like going up to sit with Carole yet, so he turned on the TV that was on the wall. Kurt had taught him all the little secret things that were around the room, and how to work the television. Blaine had never really had a TV to watch past the age of twelve so Kurt's DVD collection was fun to go through.

He was about halfway through an episode of Grey's anatomy when his stomach started to growl. He still didn't want to go upstairs, and he wasn't keen on the idea of eating all together. But after of weekend practically starvation, he figured it would be best to digest something.

Blaine knew that Kurt had cereal bars and other snacks in a draw in his closet, and he'd been granted special access to them. He got up and on his feet for the first time that day and started to head over there. He couldn't help but think that a draw full of secret food was just so cute of his boyfriend. It was so...Kurt.

He limped over to the closet and grabbed anything to settle his stomach. A morning with television, some nice food and time to be alone was actually seeming quite nice. It was nice to enjoy the peace. But as he made his way back, he stumbled on his unreliable legs and fell backwards. Blaine had been doing his fair share of falling recently.

Falling back was better than forward. He thought that it would be better to fall on his backside rather than his already sore arms. But he hadn't noticed the bedside table was too close, and as he fell his head landed harshly on the edge of it and a horrible cracking noise flew through the air.

Blaine didn't scream out. The pain burning through his skull was paralysing him from moving. There was white in front of his eyes so he clenched them shut along with his teeth. He managed to reach a hand up to hold his head and felt the blood on his hand. It took a few minutes before he could open his eyes and everything was in focus.

He managed to get up so he was standing, and turned the TV off. The noise was hurting his head even more. The back of his head was bleeding even more than the night he arrived and he was starting to feel dizzy. He needed Carole, and he had to call her. "Carole?" It hurt his head to shout and he wondered if she'd even heard him. He called again. "Carole?" He'd stopped with the 'Mrs Hummel' thing a while ago. It was easier, and they were around each other a lot more than they had been before.

Blaine heard a knock on the door. She didn't need to do that, he just wanted her to come in. "Carole's not here, it's just me. Can I come in?" Burt's deep voice came from under the door. Why was he there? Kurt said Carole was home. Did he lie?

"No." Burt couldn't come in. No one else was in the house to protect him and- oh god, Blaine was alone with Burt. He had been the whole time. He was starting to feel like the walls were enclosing in on him. Burt spoke again. "Look, I'm not gonna do anything. Just let me help, okay?" Burt couldn't help. He could hurt, that's what he could do.

"No, I'm fine." Blaine sat down on the bed. He couldn't stand up anymore and the loss of blood was making him feel woozy. He did need help, but not from him. "Why did you call Carole if you're fine?" Uh, why wouldn't he leave? The hand on the back of his head was soaked in blood, so he switched them around. It was dripping down his arm and he'd gotten down his shirt while he moved around the bed. He was trying his best not to get it on Kurt's bed.

"Um...To say hi?" He wasn't really sure what he was saying anymore. He ran a hand over his face before he realised it was covered in blood. Now it was all over his forehead and one of his cheeks. His eyelids were fluttering and he shuffled more so he was against the headboard. He didn't really care about Burt anymore.

"I'm coming in, okay?" The door was pushed open and as soon as he saw Burt his eyes widened. He was already in a lot of pain but then he realised what that man could do. Burt just stared at him for a second, dumbstruck. Blaine had forgotten all about the blood.

He rushed forward. "Blaine what happened?" Blaine couldn't really comprehend anything anymore. The pain, the fear, the blood. All he could do was stare at Burt with wide eyes. He reached out a hand to touch his face and try to clear away some of the blood but Blaine flinched away.

"Look, you're bleeding like no business, and it's coming out of your head. I'm no doctor, but that's not good news. Let me help." He moved in closer but Blaine still managed to find a way to shuffle away. "I'm not going to hurt you! Please let me help." Blaine felt like he was about to fall asleep but he kept his eyes glued on Burt.

Burt wasn't taking it anymore. He got up and grabbed some bandages from the bathroom. He didn't really know what he was doing but if he could get the blood to stop he'd consider it a success. He sat down on the bed again. Blaine couldn't get any further away without falling off, so he moved close so he could actually help. All he could see was blood.

He grabbed Blaine's arm to get it away from his head so he could replace it with tissues, but Blaine slapped him away. "No, please." His eyes were drifting shut but they were still glimmering with tears. He looked so afraid. Burt sighed. He understood why Blaine was like this but that didn't mean he liked it. He was getting tired of it. He just wanted to help.

Burt handed Blaine the tissues. "You do it. I'm gonna stay to make sure you're alright." Blaine honestly didn't look like he could look after himself which was why Burt was staying. Blaine nodded, not taking his eyes off Burt, and lifted it slowly to the back of his head.

"How did this happen?" Blaine was turning paler than he already was. "Hit my head on the draw. I fell." Without thinking Burt wrapped an arm around the boy, and to his surprise he didn't struggle that much. He whined and flinched, but stayed put. Burt could only blame it on the pain and how weak he was.

"It was stupid, I'm sorry." Burt could hear the defeat in his voice. "Don't worry about it, it was an accident. I just want to make sure you're okay." Blaine looked him up and down before inching closer to him and saying "Will you help me? My head hurts..." Burt couldn't deny how tired he looked and the way he was starting to shake.

"Sure buddy. Relax." Burt took the blood soaked tissue from the back of Blaine's head and replaced with new ones. He took his free hand and used it to wipe away the blood that was on Blaine's face and arms. He could see that he still wasn't comfortable around him, but that was fine. As long as he could help.

It took a long time for the bleeding to stop. When it did, Burt didn't really know what to do next. He couldn't just put a plaster on it, and it would look weird to wrap bandages around it. I'm the end he just left it how it was to heal and told Blaine to be careful. As soon as he'd regained some strength from the blood he'd lost he got as far away from Burt as he could. He was thankful for what he did, but the fear was stronger. He decided to leave the kid alone until his therapy appointment and just wondered how he'd manage to get him in the car without Kurt.

* * *

Burt didn't like the waiting room. He didn't like the snobby receptionist. He didn't like the crappy posters that were on the wall. He didn't like the fact that they only played the news on the television in the corner. And he didn't like that he wasn't allowed to be with Blaine who was only on the other side of the door.

It hadn't been as hard as he'd expected to get him to go with him. Either Blaine really wanted to go to therapy or the fact that Burt would crash the car if he tried to touch him persuaded him a bit more. Burt wasn't even sure if Blaine should've been outside with his head injury, but if it went wrong then at least they were in a hospital. And Carole wouldn't pick up her phone.

The hour was halfway through when he heard Blaine shout from the other side of the door. "No! No, don't!" It was the kind of protest Burt had heard whenever he'd gone near Blaine, but this time it was louder and braver. Whatever he was shouting about was obviously important to him.

* * *

"No! No, don't!" He was pleading. Blaine was aware of it. He wasn't ashamed, he'd done it before with his father when he was younger. He'd stopped when he realised it wouldn't get him anywhere, but maybe it would with his therapist. Doctor Mayward came and sat next to Blaine and put a hand gently on his knee. She smiled sadly.

"I have to, Blaine. You've suffered a lot of abuse from your dad and the police need to know." Blaine pushed her hand away and stood up slowly. "You can't tell. It's our secret, its...confidentiality! You can't!" The doctor shook her head and stood up with him. "I'm legally obligated to tell them. This wasn't a question about it, this was a warning that it would happen."

He couldn't believe her. He'd confided so much to her and now she was throwing it back at him. He wished he'd never come. "Then I'll quit. Quit therapy so I'm not your patient anymore." He started to move towards the door to make sure she understood his point. He didn't care, he'd quit.

"Even if you do quit I still have to alert them. Quitting won't help you in anyway. I think this will help you, it could improve the nightmares knowing he can't do anything anymore." She started to move towards him to pull him away from the door, but Blaine backed away. He felt like crying or collapsing or just plain disappearing.

"This isn't good! You're supposed to help not...do this!" The doctor took a step back to give him space. "This will help, trust me. I know what I'm doing. Why don't you sit down and talk to me?" Blaine shook his head again. He felt sick and he couldn't be in there anymore. He wanted to go home, he wanted Kurt, he even wanted Burt.

"No. I don't want to be here anymore..." He couldn't really think of anything else to say, but the doctor didn't seem to be stopping him. So he opened the door and walked as fast as he could over to Burt, while forgetting everything, and buried his head in his shoulder. He wasn't crying, but he took comfort in just being close to someone.

He felt an arm wrap around him and pull him closer. "You okay?" Blaine shook his head and made a noise into Burt's shoulder. "Can we go?" His voice sounded pathetic but he didn't care. Everything was crumbling. "Of course we can. Let me just have a quick word with the doctor and we can go. Okay?" Blaine nodded and let go. He blushed, obviously embarrassed about what he'd just done.

Burt wasn't that happy. His therapist was supposed to be making him feel better, not worse. He didn't know what she must have said for him to come and actually hug Burt optionally. He opened the door and shut it quietly behind him, leaving Blaine staring at his feet in the waiting room.

Doctor Mayward was sitting behind her desk writing notes when she looked up. "Ah, Mr Hummel. How can I help you?" Burt narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean 'how can I help you?' I wanna know why my kid had to run out of therapy!" She raised her eyebrows and Burt bit his lip. He'd never described Blaine as his own kid. He just ignored it, and so did the doctor.

"Blaine ran out because I told him that I'm reporting his father. He threatened to quit therapy." Burt walked forward and sat at the desk. "What? He can't quit! Should I bring him back in here?" She shook her head and shut the notebook shed been writing in. Out of the corner of his eye, Burt saw Blaine's name. He couldn't read what she'd written.

"No. Take him home if he wants. He needs to be in control and decide what he wants. And trust me Mr Hummel, he won't quit. Once he sits with the decision it'll be for the better." Burt nodded. He didn't really have much else to say, so they said their goodbyes and Burt left.

When he got to the waiting room, Blaine's head was resting on the wall. Burt hated how he was lying on his cut. His eyes were shut and he was breathing in and out very softly. Burt nudged at his shoulder and Blaine's eyes opened. "Come on, let's go." Blaine nodded sleepily and half limped and half stumbled to the parking lot. Burt wasn't surprised that he slept the whole way home, and after going inside collapsed onto the couch.

* * *

Kurt practically jumped out of the car. He'd had a horrible day at school, and glee had ran on much later than it needed to. He just wanted to sit down and see if Blaine was okay. Since he'd gotten to school, people had been questioning him non stop. He was half expecting Rachel and Mercedes to be waiting at his locker, but he hadn't expected the whole club to there. Even Puck and Santana were there.

All day was an attack of questions about his boyfriend. He didn't have an answer for any of them, so he mostly just ignored them. He wanted Blaine to be there with him, or to be at home with Blaine. Just something to have made the day go by easier.

He shut the door behind him and chucked his bag on the floor. He was heading down to his bedroom, where he guessed Blaine would be, when he saw something he hadn't expected to see in the living room. Blaine was lying stretched out on the couch, his head resting in his folded arms. Burt was sitting by his feet watching the TV quietly. Kurt couldn't see much of his face because he was basically lying on it, but Kurt could see he was asleep.

"Hey, Dad." Burt looked up at his son and smiled. "Hey Kurt. You alright?" Kurt nodded and sat down in the chair near the television. "I'm fine. What's with Blaine?" Burt shrugged. "I don't know. He's been asleep there for a while and I didn't want to wake him."

"How long has he been asleep?"

"About a couple of hours. Ever since therapy."

Kurt almost couldn't believe it. It was the longest Blaine had ever slept without waking up with a nightmare. He must have been asleep for about six hours, and Kurt had hardly ever sleep for more than three. "That long? Wow." Burt smiled up at Kurt. It was a proper smile and Kurt could tell his dad was almost as happy as he was.

Kurt got up and settled next to Blaine's head on the floor. He roamed his peaceful face with his eyes. He lifted one hand up to his boyfriend's face and lightly stroked his forehead. If he'd woken up he didn't show any signs, but he did stretch one hand out from under his head and let it drift down near Kurt. He took it without waking it and suddenly didn't care. Yeah, maybe Blaine had freaked out a lot and maybe he was damaged.

But maybe Blaine _was_ getting better.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter fifteen! This is getting long. I hope you like this chapter, it ends on a kind of cliffhanger but not a very good one...and I think I invented a surgical procedure in this chapter. Please review, I have a few ideas for next chapter but I would love to have some ideas from you. Thank you! Enjoy the chapter and follow me on tumblr-likeiknowrightnow**

Blaine was nervous. He was sitting cross legged in the middle of Kurt's bed, twiddling his thumbs. His hair was done, he was dressed in clothes Carole had bought for him and he had all the things he needed for school in a bag beside him. But he felt in no way ready.

It had been another week until he was 'allowed' to go to school. Doctor Mayward had been reluctant to let him, but he kept telling her he'd be fine. He hadn't quit therapy, because he realised he needed her. She was impartial and he could say anything to her without having some kind of judgement. Blaine still hadn't forgiven her since she'd told him that his father would be reported, but he'd talked it through. He could tolerate her again.

Carole had given him permission to go because the doctor had, but he was under strict instruction to tell Kurt if he was in pain or getting tired. His eye hadn't improved and he still couldn't see properly, and it was what he was most worried about everyone seeing. His body was covered so no one could see it. The cuts and bruises on his face were still there, but there wasn't much they could do about that. They would be hard to explain away, but he was sure it would be fine. That could happen to anyone.

But his eye was different. He'd kind of gotten used to it, and Carole was right in the way that it wasn't much different. At least he could still see, as weird it was. It didn't bother him too much. But the way it had looked bothered him. He didn't like the way the weird milky colour had stared back at him in the mirror. It had made Rachel and Mercedes stare at him, why wouldn't the rest of Glee, or the rest of Mckinley? That was the thought that put him through the day before, when Carole had drained it.

_"Blaine felt like the walls were closing in on him. He was in a hospital room. A real, live hospital room. He'd just finished therapy, and he was running out of time to have this done before school. Because Carole was a nurse there she'd managed to sneak Blaine into an empty room without questions. _

_Kurt was there with him holding his hand. He looked a lot more nervous than Blaine did, and neither of them knew what to say. Blaine trusted Carole a lot, but he didn't know anyone that he trusted enough to let them stick a needle in his eye. She said he'd be fine without it, but he didn't want to look at it anymore. If he didn't do it now he never would. _

_She brought over the tray she'd been fiddling with at the back of the room and Blaine's breath caught in the back of his throat. It was full of gloves, tissues, needles and weird spiky things that he had no idea of what they were. And they were all going inside his eye. He tightened his grip on Kurt's hand and he did in return, but wasn't sure who it was for. _

_Carole snapped on a pair of gloves. "Are you sure you don't want me to get a proper doctor?" Blaine shook his head. Sure a doctor would have more experience, but Carole would be more careful. That's how he was justifying it in his mind. "Okay. So ...this shouldn't take long, it's very simple. It might hurt but not much more than having an eyelash in your eye. If you just breathe you'll be fine...just hope you're not squeamish." _

_Blaine nodded. He was never squeamish before, but now he didn't want anything near his eye. He was thinking about closing his good eye, but then he couldn't see it coming. He didn't know if that was good or not. Carole lifted what looked like an eyelash curler up to his eye. In one hand she was holding a syringe. Blaine guessed that it needed to be quick. _

_He managed to stop himself from whimpering as Carole pressed 'the thing' up against his eye so he couldn't blink. Then she quickly stuck the syringe into his eye, just gently. Blaine groaned in pain. It wasn't like an eyelash- eyelashes didn't go through your eye. He could hear Kurt holding his breath for him. _

_He squeezed his eye shut, but the other one wouldn't. Instead he just clenched his teeth and waited. It only took a couple of seconds, but once it was all taken away he squeezed his eye shut. He instinctively lifted his arms up to rub it but Carole pulled them away. _

_"Don't touch it! I know it hurts, but just blink it away. It'll have to be in dressing for a day or two." Blaine nodded. He opened it drearily only to have more pads shoved into it. He tried to avoid looking at the drops of blood that were on them. It was a while before they got to leave, but Blaine was happy when they did. Maybe that would make him more normal."_

He'd just looked in the mirror before settling on the bed, and he was mostly happy with how it looked. His eye wasn't clouded over, but it still didn't look normal. It wasn't shiny like an eye should be, and it was red. He guessed that was a mixture of lack of sleep, the procedure and the fact he was technically blind.

Blaine wasn't really sure why he was doing this. He'd practically had to beg his therapist to let him come to school, and he had to downplay his injuries in front of Carole so she would let him. So now he was sitting on the bed, feeling sick and wondering just why he had done it.

But then he remembered. He was doing it for Kurt. He'd told him all the questions everyone was asking him and how much he wished Blaine was there. So he would be. He'd march in there as best he could and show everyone that he was fine. They could stop asking Kurt questions that they didn't need to know the answers to.

And be wanted to seem normal to Kurt again. Through it all he'd broken down and had been vulnerable in front of him so many times he wondered if Kurt even remembered the person he used to be. Going back to school would prove to him that he was the same Blaine.

He was still sitting there when Kurt walked through the door with his bag in hand and carrying his car keys. Blaine tried to quickly sit in a different position as his boyfriend seemed to think it was to do with stress or worry, and maybe it was. Kurt knew Blaine was already really worried about going back to school, and when he saw him shuffle quickly away from how he'd been, he felt even worse.

Part of him knew the only reason Blaine was going back to school was for him, but he daren't say anything. He didn't want condescend him, and he didn't know how much of it was for him anyway. He didn't want to look stupid. As Blaine looked up at him with big eyes filled with worried, Kurt just smiled and took his hand.

As they headed towards the car with their hands still linked, Blaine started to feel sick. The closer they got the worse it became, and he could tell it was going to be a bad day.

* * *

Blaine desperately wanted to run away. He'd made it through the doors and was heading to his locker, but every step he took made him want to run home. Kurt was walking close by his side to make sure he was okay. Blaine was grateful, and thought he probably would've run away if he hadn't been there.

He was looking out for members of the New directions, but realised it was pointless. He would see them all at some point anyway. Carole said he wasn't allowed to dance in Glee for a while and he got that, but wouldn't sitting out just raise more attention to himself? It wouldn't work out either way, and it all seemed like a big waste of time.

As they turned the corner that lead to his locker, Blaine was alarmed to see all of the glee club girls circling it. He stopped in his tracks. They were busy talking and hadn't seen either boy standing at the end of the hallway, so Kurt put his hand softly on Blaine's shoulder. "You ready for this?" Kurt didn't sound nearly as nervous as he looked.

Blaine nodded, but took a tiny step back. It was a few seconds before they started to walk again, and they were only halfway there before Rachel spotted them and pointed to them both. All the girls swarmed around Blaine in one big crowd, and Blaine was surprised to see Quinn and Santana there. They never seemed to care much about him at all.

They were all asking things and touching his arms. Mercedes and Rachel were looking at his eyes again and were probably confused at how it had changed colour. They were crowding and bombarding him with an overwhelming amount of questions and they weren't being quiet about it. Blaine was shocked at how they were behaving. They knew the way he reacted last time and now they were doing it again. And they were staring again.

"Guys! Get off him!" Kurt was his knight in shining armour. He wasn't able to form any words to tell them to get away, but Kurt could do it. The girls quietened down and stepped away, but they were still blocking his locker. Blaine was just hoping that the fear he felt wasn't showing strongly on his face.

Rachel was the first to say anything after that. "Blaine, are you okay? Where have you been? What's up with your face?" Blaine put his arms up in defence. He was trying to remember how he would have acted before this had all gotten out of control. He could push everything down like he had done before Kurt found out-he'd done it for years, he could do it again.

"Whoa! Which question d'you want me to answer first!?" He was trying not to stutter or let his voice crack. He started walking slowly to his locker and they parted like the sea for him. They obviously didn't think he would try and advance. Blaine could feel Kurt stare at him with amazement and maybe a bit of pride as he walked forward. He was mostly hiding the limp in his step and with the way his body was covered, no one would have much reason to suspect anything.

"Um..." Rachel looked at Kurt in surprise. Kurt decided to go along with Blaine and smiled at her. There was no point in his boyfriend trying so hard if he didn't play along. "Where have you been?" Blaine opened his locker nonchalantly. "I was at home."

"Why?" Sanatana asked. She didn't seem to be as amazed as the other girls, but more suspicious. Blaine knew he would have to lie convincingly around her because she would know if anything he said wasn't the truth. Without hesitation, he said, "I was sick. It happens." He wondered if maybe he was being too defensive, but there were a lot of people to be defensive to.

"Why were you at Kurt's house the whole break? What was so wrong he couldn't answer his damn phone?" Mercedes slammed his locker shut as soon as he was finished, and Blaine tried his hardest not to flinch and drop of all of his books. He managed it, but the girls all saw him startle. Blaine was normally a fan of Mercedes's attitude, but today he didn't care for it.

"He was taking care of me, I was sick for a while. My parents were away for business and I was too ill to look after myself." He headed down the corridor with the girls following behind him. Kurt was by his side, and saw the slight splash of pain in his face when he said 'my parents'. Kurt wondered if he'd always looked like that when he'd said it before and he was just too blind to notice.

Rachel raced to stand next to them. "What type of sick? Why was your eye and your face and your arm all messed up? Why did you stare at us like we would stab you?" Her voice was starting to irritate him. He sighed. Big speeches always seemed to work in Rachel, so he would try one of them.

"One-I have a condition that flares up now and then. Two-My body was hurt because I got too hot and it made me fall unconscious, and landed on some gravel on my arms. And three-I was scared because I had no idea who you were. I was loaded up on painkillers. Now, I haven't told you about that before because it's embarrassing, and quite frankly none of your business. Do you have any more inappropriate questions or are you all going to leave me alone?"

He sounded so matter-of-factly, and the girls walked away with their mouths opening and closing. Rachel was the last to leave, storming off with her hands on her hips and an annoyed look on her face. As soon as they were all out of sight, Blaine let out the breathe he'd been holding and collapsed against the wall of the hallway. Kurt leant against the wall with him.

"You did great, I think they bought it. I had no idea you could do that!" Kurt looked over at his boyfriend and saw that his eyes were shut and he was breathing deep. He put a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?" Blaine opened his eyes and nodded. "I think that was okay. I'll be okay." Kurt smiled and patted him in the shoulder. "You were feisty!" Blaine smiled in return. "Come on diva, let's go."

* * *

Blaine was in agony by the end of the day. It took him all of his power to stand up from his chair, and then he somehow had to go and meet Kurt. He knew he was walking to him, but if Blaine walked part of it alone and being able to show his pain, he'd feel much better than masking it the whole way out.

He'd only made it part of the way down the corridor before he bumped into Kurt. He was smiling and obviously couldn't see Blaine's pain. "Hey! Ready for Glee club?" Blaine wanted to groan. No, he wasn't ready. He wanted to go home and go to sleep. He wanted to not see the girls again. He wanted not to tire himself out further by jumping around. He looked up at Kurt. "Yeah, sure. Let's go."

As soon as they walked in, the girls had their attention on him. Some were looking curiously, others were reminding themselves he was actually in that day, and a few were glaring. Mr Schuester walked in behind them. He patted Blaine on the back and welcomed him back, but Blaine could just feel the ache and pain explode in his shoulder. He managed to ignore and sat in in the chair next to Kurt. He was limping more heavily and it was harder to hide as he went up the stairs at the back of the room. He got some weird looks, but managed to ignore them.

"Okay, guys. Big announcement! We all know Sectionals is in a few weeks, so we need to practice. But before we do, how about you all try on...your outfits!" In true Mr Schue fashion, a boy none of them recognised wheeled in two racks of clothing. The club applauded and some stood up to find their dresses. He clapped his hands and continued. "Ladies, go get changed in the bathroom and meet us back here. Guys can just get changed in the choir room."

Blaine and Kurt snapped around and stared at each other in fear. Blaine would have to get changed in front of all the other guys, and there would be no way of hiding it from anyone. Kurt opened his mouth to say something, but Blair just looked forward at all the other guys grabbing their clothes. All of them were short sleeved.

Mr Schuester beckoned them over and Kurt got to his feet. Blaine couldn't. He was stuck to his chair, because he knew if he got up everything would crumble. All the hard work he'd put in to be normal all day was going to be ruined, and the mask he'd been wearing was disappearing. He could feel himself letting go again and it was only something else to go wrong that would set him off.

"Blaine! Come on, come get your outfit!" Mr Schuester was getting impatient and this was something he obviously wanted to do quickly before rehearsing. Kurt was standing next to him with his shirt and pants in hand, looking like he might cry. Blaine got up and let the pain he was in visibly show. As far as he was concerned it didn't matter anymore, because everyone would know.

Mr Schuester pushed the outfit into his hand and then wandered over to help Finn with his bow-tie. Blaine just stood and looked up at Kurt, who seemed just as clueless as he was. "What do I do?" He asked it quietly so no one else would hear him. Kurt just shrugged. "You could ask to get changed in the bathroom, but...everyone would see your arms."

Blaine knew Rachel and Mercedes already had, but he didn't want everyone to see. They were ugly, and they would put his story together in their heads. He was grateful they hadn't figured it out-or if they had just hadn't mentioned it-but he wouldn't have been able to hurt his arms like that just by falling on them. He guessed they hadn't really been paying that close attention to his arms. He'd have to talk to Mr Schue. He was always understanding and was sure to help him.

He nodded at Kurt. "...Mr Schue?" His voice was uneven and he turned around to face him. He looked at Blaine and he waved him over. He sighed like he had other things to do but made his way over. He offered them both a smile. "What's wrong Blaine?" His eyes went over to Kurt. "Does this involve you?" Kurt shook his head. "Well, can you go get dressed? We're short on time."

Kurt nodded and walked away. Blaine was stranded there with him. Mr Schue ran his hand through his hair and looked back up at Blaine. Blaine liked Mr Schuester. He had always come off as a nice man, the one teacher in school you could always go to. And it was true for the most part.

But when he got stressed out he wasn't a good person to come to things with, especially if he was busy. And Blaine knew the teacher hadn't exactly warmed to him yet. He tolerated him because he could sing and what he meant to Kurt, but other than that he wasn't regarded as anything else. Blaine still had to prove himself which would be hard given the circumstances.

"I...I can't wear this." Blaine knew how stupid he sounded. Mr Schue looked at him confused. "What do you mean? This is your outfit, and you'll wear it. I'm not concerned if it's not your style, we just all have to match. Now, I'd understand if it didn't fit, but you haven't tried it on yet. So get changed."

Blaine shook his head. "No you don't get it, it's none of that. I just...I can't wear it. And I can't get changed in here." Mr Schue sighed. Blaine understood why he was annoyed, he would be too. But he just hoped his teacher would see how terrified he was and get that this was more than a problem than style.

"Why can't you wear it? And don't say 'I just can't'. Give me a real reason." Blaine looked around on the floor before looking at his teacher in the eye. His hands were on his hips and he was leaning over Blaine to make sure he knew he was in charge. Blaine just shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you...I can't tell you. Just please don't make me, I can't wear it!" His voice was getting louder and more desperate. It was then that Kurt jogged over fully changed.

"It's true, he can't wear it. He has to wear long sleeves." Mr Schue cocked an eyebrow upwards. "Has to, or prefers to?" Neither of them said anything because they both knew Blaine didn't have to. But if he didn't it would be terrible. After they stayed silent he spoke up again. "Look, even if you have to I can't have just one of you in long sleeves. And I don't have the money to order all you boy's new shirts."

Kurt started to answer. "But it-" Mr Schue held up a hand. "No buts. Please Blaine, just put it on." Blaine looked at it and shook his head. "This is your first competition as a member of the New Directions. You need to learn that we don't follow what you want like they did in the Warblers. You need to follow my instructions, otherwise it won't work."

Blaine couldn't say anything. The only thing he could manage, just above a whisper, was "I can't wear it." Kurt looked at him and he was silently begging, and so was Blaine. But Mr Schue was shaking his head. "No. Everyone else is dressed; we don't have time to waste. If you want to be in Glee you need to do as I say."

Blaine stood and thought for a moment before shaking his head in return. He held out his outfit for Mr Schue to take and shrugged. "Then I quit." A chorus of gasps could be heard. The girls had arrived a while ago, and everyone had stopped to listen to the argument. Mr Schue opened and closed his mouth.

"..Wh..you what?!" Blaine shrugged again and let go of clothes once they were in his hands securely. "I quit!" He took a step back and could see everyone staring at him. He forgot about the pain and ran out the door of the choir room into the hallway. They didn't have to stare at him.

That was the first time Kurt had seen Blaine run since he'd been hurt. He knew how tired the school day had made him and how much pain it had put him in, and now he was running. He'd have to go after him. Before he left he turned and looked at Mr Schuester. "Shame on you. He didn't need that." He then looked around at the girls who were looking at their shoes, especially Rachel. "He didn't need it from any of you, either." And with that he went running after Blaine.

* * *

Kurt found Blaine pacing around and empty classroom. He knew he wouldn't have been able to go very far, so he just checked every room until he saw signs of him. They weren't really that far away from the choir room, but Blaine was out of breathe. He had his hands on his head and with every step he took he made a noise of pain and his limping got heavier.

"I'm sorry, Blaine. That wasn't how it should've gone. I should've helped more and...are you okay? You haven't really quit have you?" Blaine managed to shrug while his hands were still on the sides of his head. His hair was messy from running his fingers through it.

"I don't know, I don't..." He paced faster. "I couldn't do, I couldn't let them see, because if they did they'd know, but now I've quit and they know anyway! It's all useless and I can't do it, I'm not good for this, Kurt, I can't...Mr Schuester wouldn't help, he wouldn't listen or take two seconds to help because no one does! Maybe Glee is better without me, but I like it, I've always like it, and you like it so I like it but I just quit! I freakin QUIT, Kurt!"

Kurt listened to Blaine babble faster and faster around the room. His hands tightened on his head and he looked like he could barely walk at all. "Blaine!" Blaine stopped talking and looked at him. "Sit down." Blaine did as he was told to and sat down in the chair. He still had his hands on his head, but he placed his elbows on his knees and hunched over. Kurt stood behind him and rubbed his arms up and down his arms.

"Shh, breathe, okay? You're fine, all that's going on is that you're sitting in a chair. That's it, okay? Just breathe." Blaine breathed in and out slowly along with Kurt. Kurt reached down to his arms and slowly pulled his arms from his head and placed them on his legs, and pulled back on his shoulders to straighten out his back.

It would work better to calm him down if his back was fully against the back of the chair. He needed to feel his back against it, and he needed to feel his legs against it. It would help to ground him and bring him back to the moment he was actually in, not moments that had happened or things that could. Kurt had read about 'grounding' Blaine a lot but he'd never actually done it. He'd read it up in detail to make sure if he ever needed to, he'd be able to help. He was pretty sure he knew that booklet word for word.

Kurt still had his hands on Blaine's shoulders and was saying things to help calm him down when Mr Schuester walked in. He didn't knock, he just walked in and shouted Blaine's name. He didn't do it aggressively, it was at the relief at the fact he'd managed to find them. It may have been intended well, but it was enough to make him startle off the chair and jump away. He pulled his hands up to his chest.

"What are you doing?" He walked forward and stood in front of the chair Blaine had been sitting in so he could face Kurt. He sighed and stood next to Blaine. "I was grounding him, but you wrecked it. No offence." Mr Schue nodded but Blaine shook his head. "I'm fine, don't worry." He went against what he said and curled slightly behind his boyfriend so Mr Schuester was further away.

"Look, Blaine." He stepped forward. "I'm sorry at how I reacted. I shouldn't have brought up the Warblers...or jumped to conclusions. I don't want you to quit glee, and I want to ask you if you'll still be a member. A very important member. Please?" He had his hands up in resignation and Kurt could see the best teacher shining through the stress. This was the caring teacher that could help Blaine.

Blaine chewed his lip. "I still can't wear that shirt." Mr Schue sighed and threw up his hands. "Can I ask why?" He scratched his head in confusion. Blaine looked over to Kurt and he shrugged. It was his decision if he wanted to tell him, he couldn't make all of his decisions for him. Personally he wanted Blaine to tell so he'd be let back into Glee and dealt with in a way that wouldn't make him panic.

"It's a secret. I could show you...but I can't tell you why..." Mr Schue nodded. He really wanted to know what had happened to his student, and why he was like this. Blaine still looked to be in conflict with himself, and Kurt recognised it from when he was deciding whether or not he would tell him. "You won't tell anyone?"

Kurt had asked Blaine many times if he would tell Mr Schuester, and he'd never known. Apparently the way he'd told him the positives was making his decision easier.

Mr Schuester shook his head and held out his hand to shake it. Blaine looked at it before taking it. Kurt put his hand on his shoulder and rubbed it gently to show he supported him. Blaine grabbed the end of sleeves and slowly rolled them up. Blaine turned up his nose at the way it looked and Mr Schuester brought a hand to his mouth.

When both of his sleeves were rolled up, there was silence. "How...What happened?" Blaine shook his head. "I can't tell you. But I _can't_ wear that shirt!". He nodded. "I get it. We'll sort it out, okay? Why don't you two go home and come back tomorrow when I have something ready." They both nodded.

Kurt knew he had no idea how to deal with this. No one did because it never happened to anyone you knew. Sending them away was just a way to give him time to process, and Kurt didn't want to have this conversation run any longer. He could see Blaine itching to pull his sleeves down.

Once they got into the hallway they headed their separate ways, but Kurt called after him. "Oh! Mr Schue, what songs are we going to do for sectionals?" He wanted to at least have an idea so he could learn the lyrics. Mr Schue spun with a smile. "We're going to write them again! It worked last time and we all loved the writing process." Blaine looked up . "We're writing songs?" They both nodded. He actually smiled, even after what he just did.

"I've written songs…"


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey! I dont have a lot to say about this chapter except that I hope you enjoy it! Please review, and let me know if you want Blaine to meet abyone in his family, or if you have any recommendations or critisisms. I feel like this stroy is nearly done, but I dont know. It depends what you guys want. Okay, thank you!**

* * *

What was he doing? Kurt turned off the engine of his car and was just sat there. He couldn't decide whether what he was doing was good or not, but he wasn't going to stop and ask. There was no one but him in the car, and his hands were clamped tightly on the wheel as he bit down on his lip. He kept counting down to when he would get up and get out, but he never did and his body just wouldn't follow orders. It wasn't like he'd never been in there before; it was just that the first and only time he'd been in there hadn't turned out well.

The house that Blaine had stayed in was just outside, and the space in front of it was being filled by Kurt's car. His father's vehicle was nowhere to be seen unlike before, which meant the house was empty. There was no reason why he couldn't just go in, especially as the front door was still open part of the way. It would be better to do it before it got darker than it already was, but the Sun seemed to setting extra fast just to tease him. He needed to get in there quickly.

He kept yelling at himself in his head. He knew it was dangerous, his dad could get in at any moment, or Blaine could wake up at any moment and wonder where he went. He had a feeling in his stomach that every car that drove past was Blaine's dad, but it never was. He didn't even know what the man looked like, as he'd been locked in the bathroom when he'd been there.

It was now or never. He grabbed the door handle and took a deep breath before opening it as quietly as he could. It was almost as if any noise near this house could just summon violence to right in front of your face. He locked the car behind him and took a few hesitant steps forward. It was eerily quiet on the street. There were no people walking, no children playing and no distant noise. There were just dim lights hidden behind windows.

He headed down the path and the further he got the less nervous he became. There were no lights in the house and no sign of a TV. It was empty. He was trying not to think of what would happen if Blaine's dad did come home, but his mind was optimistic in the fact that he wouldn't be drunk. If he was driving then it seemed likely he had to sober, but he didn't seem to be the most law abiding man considering his past.

As positive as he was managing to be, he couldn't help but feel like he was betraying Blaine, but really he was the reason he was even attempting to do what he was. Even if Blaine was the one that hadn't wanted him to, he would be the one that benefited from it. Kurt felt selfish in a way, because a lot of this was for him as well, but hopefully Blaine would see through it all and just thank him.

It was all to do with what Blaine had said earlier. He had actually written songs. Since the words had come out of his mouth Kurt was dying to hear them, and he knew they would be amazing. He knew his boyfriend was musically talented with the amount of instruments he could play, just how he managed to learn them he had no idea, but he didn't know Blaine had the type of mind that could turn words into lyrics.

Kurt knew that pain could fuel great music, but the most painful thing he'd heard a song be about was a bad break up. Blaine had been through real pain, and if he could weave that into a song then it would be a song no one could ever forget. And considering how sensitive Blaine was, especially after he'd just quit the glee club and shown someone else the state of his body, it was a miracle he even told them that. They had to be songs that he was proud of.

But of course, just when he was about to say more, the rest of the glee club had marched around the corner and demanded to know more. Kurt should have known that if they were left alone without their teacher they would eventually stop gossiping about them an actually come and find them. Of course, Blaine had been frozen in fear about what he'd just done, but Kurt dragged him away, still dressed in his own show clothes.

Kurt had asked him more about his songs in the car, but he'd shut down. He wasn't letting anymore about it go and Kurt got that. He'd been shocked and scared, and it'd been a long day for him. He just thought he'd wait until they got back home. Once they got back and settled onto Kurt's bed, he brought it up again.

_"Blaine?" _

_Blaine lifted his head off of Kurt's chest and looked up at him. _

_"Yeah?" _

_"You know you said you wrote songs...?" _

_Blaine squirmed but Kurt couldn't tell if it was the way he was lying or what he'd been asked. He stayed silent for a few seconds before answering._

_"Um...yeah?"_

_He didn't seem as confident as he had been before when he'd brought it up, but Kurt didn't know why. If anything he should be better because Mr Schuester wasn't hanging around in the background._

_"Well...can I hear some of them?" _

_Blaine rolled over off of Kurt's chest so he was lying on his stomach and looking straight into his eyes. He was biting his lip._

_"No...not really..."_

_"Why?"_

_He chewed his lip again looked down. Kurt wasn't sure why he couldn't, because they were his own words. Surely he could decide when he wanted to let people hear them. Or maybe that was the problem, and he didn't want Kurt to hear it. _

_"It's just that...I don't have any instruments. I don't have any lyrics. I've left them all...at the house."_

_Blaine didn't really have anything to call that place. It wasn't home, it wasn't his dad's house, it wasn't anything. It was a place that was linked to Blaine's existence and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake it off of himself. But worst of all, the words he'd so painstakingly expressed onto paper were left there and there was no way to them. Kurt didn't know how he could cope, knowing he'd left behind something that could influence other people. _

_"...We could go and get it!" _

_Blaine's eyes shot wider and he shook his head. Kurt could see the fear behind his eyes at the mention of going back to 'the house'._

_"No. No, Kurt, we're not going back there. I don't care what I've left behind."_

_"But we could go when he's out! It would-"_

_"NO!"_

_Kurt was alarmed by the loud shout. He hadn't expected him to protest so loudly, and he jumped backwards from the bed. Blaine bit down on his lip again an shot him an apologetic look for raising his voice. He sighed and tried to fidget until he was comfortable, but it was likely he wouldn't be comfortable until the subject was dropped._

_"Sorry, it's just...I'm not going back there. And neither are you. There's nothing else to discuss." _

_"But there is! Don't you want all your lyrics back? They must mean something to you!" _

_Blaine sat up and tried to hide his wince of pain. Kurt could see how much the school day had drained him of energy and made the pain drill a heavier dent into him. _

_"I'd be lying if I said I didn't care, but they're not worth it. I don't know what he's doing right now, and I don't know if he even cares. I don't even know if he knows I'm alive."_

_Kurt grimaced at that. He hated the thought, but without their help-even if he'd gotten out of that house- he didn't know what would have happened to Blaine. It was a lot of blood, and Carole only just got it to stop. It would make sense if his dad did think he was dead. _

_"I don't know if he's looking for me, but the one thing that scares me most is that I have no idea what he'd do to me if he ever saw me again. I'm guessing he'd finish what he started, and I'm not strong enough to stop it. And he'd probably do the same thing to you."_

_Blaine looked down. Kurt's breath had caught in his throat at the thought of his dad killing Blaine or even him. Just the word kill or murder hurt his head. But he couldn't let it go. He couldn't let Blaine's art just sit there in that hell house. _

_"Just promise me you won't go back there, okay? Please?"_

_His eyes were boring into his head and they were filled with fear and trust. His hands were clamped together and Kurt knew it was vital to him that he didn't go back. So he slipped one hand behind his back and crossed his fingers._

_"I promise."_

With each step he took he heard Blaine's words_, "Just promise me, just promise me, just promise me"_. It got louder and louder the closer he got to the door and he realised this was worse than the first time. At least Blaine had been there before, but now he was all alone in front of this looming house.

He reached a hand out slowly to push the door forward, and as he did a car drove past and Kurt jumped. He leapt away from the door before realising that the car was just passing by. He let out a breath, and that was the moment he realised how much of a bad idea it was.

But he had to do it. He wasn't going to back away after only getting that far, and he wasn't about to be a coward. He could see no cars, and thought that any that passed now would probably have its headlights on as the early winter sky darkened. He wasn't about to stay until it was pitch black, and he had to be back before dinner. He placed one hand on the door handle, which was kind of unnecessary given that it was already unlocked, and pushed the door open. He was inside.

The first thing that hit him was the lingering stench of alcohol that he was pretty sure the house didn't have before. Everything in the house was in the same place, but it looked different. The house seemed to have darkened just like the life inside it had. Kurt shivered as he remembered this was a house full of crimes, and one of them was potential murder.

He took a few tentative steps forward and each one sent a quiet tap echoing through the building. It sounded so empty. He reached the staircase and remembered how Blaine had tumbled down them, and they immediately looked storeys higher. As he went to take a step, he looked around and remembered that he'd never seen the rest of the house. His whole body screamed as he turned around to investigate the rest of the house.

As he did, he saw the broken table opposite the bottom step that Blaine must have crashed into once he landed. It all became clear to Kurt that it would be exactly the same here as it had been that night. None of it had been wiped from existence or tidied away. It was all on display for whoever walked through the front door.

He went left because all the damage led that way-a vase had been smashed and a painting was lying on the floor near the wall it had fallen from. The walls themselves were shoddily painted a dull green that wouldn't have looked good at any point in time. He entered through a doorway where a dim light was on and a dining table sat. The chairs on one side were lying down, almost as if Blaine had knocked them over to keep his dad away for longer.

A picture of Blaine as a child was lying in a broken frame on the table next to a vase of very dead, brown flowers. He reached out his hand to bring it closer, but then he realised that the home he was in could very well serve as a crime scene. He didn't want to get his fingerprints on anything, but the picture of Blaine was calling to him. He hesitantly picked up the frame, and as he did a few splinters of glass fell to the floor.

From the picture, he guessed Blaine must have been about seven or eight when it was taken. His hair had still been the dark shade of black and his face was the deep olive shade he still was, only this time it was on his arms as well. He was wearing short sleeves, and despite a few bruises there was nothing there. The boy in the picture didn't look like the man he knew.

His hair was still curly but better kept than Kurt had ever seen it. But the one thing that hit him hardest was the nature of the picture. He was smiling. He was bearing all his teeth at the person taking the picture, and so were some of the other people around him. A woman sat next to him with one arm coiled around Blaine and one around the older boy next to her. She shared the same skin and hair that Blaine had, and she was the same height he was now.

Even if they hadn't been sitting close or acting in that way, Kurt would have been able to tell he was her son. She was dressed all in black like she was silently mourning, and her slightly curled hair hung around her shoulders. She was smiling brightly, but despite the bad quality of the photo Kurt could see the way she carried herself. She looked exhausted.

Despite her tiredness, Kurt could see she was the mother who cared. She was gripping Blaine's shoulder tightly, probably because she didn't want to let him go, and it broke Kurt's heart because she had. She hadn't been in contact with Blaine for years, and neither had the boy on the other side.

He could only assume that he was Blaine's brother he'd spoken about, but Kurt failed to remember his name. He was the only person in the picture not smiling, or even looking into the camera. He was looking at the person taking the picture, that he could only assume was Blaine's dad, with an almost blank expression. The picture could have passed as one where the boy just wasn't ready for the click of the shutter, but Kurt knew that he didn't want to play happy when he wasn't.

Kurt remembered that Blaine mentioned his brother never once having a hand laid on him, and that his brother seemed to be his dads favourite. That didn't surprise him. He seemed to be the only one brave enough to stare him down and deny his request to smile. Kurt noticed that even as his mother's arm was snaked closely around him, he wasn't as close to her as she was to Blaine. In fact, the boy seemed to be reaching a hand out to pull Blaine into his own grasp. It didn't seem as though he was the type of brother to leave.

Kurt studied the picture for a few minutes before unclipping the back of the frame. He hated how the crack in the picture frame ironically shot down in between Blaine and his mother so that he was left alone in the frame-just like he was in life. He guessed that his father didn't care about the picture, especially because of its condition, and that it was his mum that placed it there.

He peeled off the back of the frame and pulled out the picture, and shook it free from any specs of glass. He was pretty sure Blaine's dad wouldn't miss it or care, and slipped it into his pocket. He placed the frame back in its place on the table and walked towards the room he thought to be the kitchen. He didn't know why Blaine had the impulse to run to the back of the house, but guessed he was trying to get out a back door.

When he walked through the doorway, he clapped a hand over his mouth and gasped. He was trying to be as quiet as he could because the house was giving him a sinister feel, but he couldn't help it. There was a back door like he thought there would be, but there was one thing he hadn't expected there to be.

Blood. And lots of it.

Bright red blood, Blaine's blood, was dripped all down the kitchen cabinet and the floor. There was even a hand print on the white tiles where Blaine had struggled to get away. Kurt was puzzled about how there was so much when he could hardly see it through his boyfriends clothes at first, but then it made sense. He guessed the drips down the cabinet were from his head and most on the floor was from his arms. His sweatpants had been thick, but because there weren't as many cuts in his trousers as there had been cuts, it was likely his pants had been pulled off at some point. The cuts he had did looked like they'd leaked lots of blood.

It was a lot to take in, but then he had to take a step back. There was a big steak knife sitting on the side that hadn't even been washed of blood. Kurt gagged and stepped backward so that he was totally out of the room.

He shook his head and headed back toward the stairs. He ignored all the other mystery doorways and just grabbed the banister before heading up. Every footstep he made sent a horrid noise through the tense silence. The door was still unlocked and it was frying his nerves to know that Blaine's dad could walk in at any moment.

He got to the top and started to head towards the room he knew was Blaine's, but stopped. There were four doors alongside Blaine's room and all of the doors were wide open. There were three doors to the right of which two were open and one was closed. He didn't know why, but he felt drawn to it and he couldn't stop himself from going further.

He swung the door open and immediately knew it was Blaine's father's room. The bed didn't look like it had ever been made or even changed, as there was one dirty pillow in the centre and his duvet was hanging half on the floor. If there was one thing Kurt grasped it was that this man didn't spend much time sleeping in bed. It stank, he couldn't quite tell what the smell was, but it was horrible. Empty alcohol bottles were lined almost neatly against the wall and some more were smashed in pieces on the floor.

Kurt took a few small steps in and could feel the stiffness of the carpet beneath his feet. It felt like it had been wet before and then frozen, leaving a hard outer shell for people to walk on. Like Blaine's room, there wasn't much in his room either. He didn't have an adjoining bathroom, but it gave off the same feel.

He walked over to the dressing table that was for some reason there. He guessed that must have been Blaine's mothers as well. The mirror that sat behind it was smashed in the corner and Kurt's reflection was warped. The layer of dust on it was quite thick.

There were still a number of items on the table that Blaine's mom hadn't taken with her. There was an expensive half empty bottle of perfume on the side, a magazine about fashion, and some pictures he guessed were her friends. But the thing that intrigued him most was a jewellery box that sat there. He went to open it but it felt wrong. He knew about the bad things that his dad did, but the only thing he knew his mother had done was just leave. It didn't feel right to rummage through her things.

But he had the picture in his pocket, and as soon as he presented him with the lyrics he'd stolen he'd know Kurt had been there anyway. It felt like bringing back some things he liked might make him forgive him more. He opened it up and a pretty loud jingle tune had started to play. It was probably tweaked to play so loud that anyone in the house would be able to know if Blaine went into it. But Kurt was alone, so he gently lifted a locket up from it and shut the lid so that the silence was there again.

He tried to open it, but it wouldn't. He didn't know what was in there, but it must have been important because it was a large locket that was heavy in his hand. He pushed it into an empty pocket and hoped Blaine would know what to do with it.

He checked his watch and he didn't have long until he had to be back home, so he decided to finally grab what he needed and leave. But as he turned to, he noticed something underneath the bed. It was pretty hidden behind the bed sheets that were hanging down, but he could just see it. It was probably nothing.

But...what if it wasn't?

It had obviously been hidden carefully, so that Blaine couldn't find it. He'd gotten less careful with it because Kurt had been able to find it, but it was still hidden none the less. He grabbed a handle and pulled it out, and pulled a face at the mountain of dust that had built up on top of it. He wiped it away from the centre, thinking it might have a pattern or logo on it but it didn't, it was a simple black case.

The lock that was keeping it shut was rusted, and Kurt kneeled in front of it as he yanked it open. It didn't really put up much of a fight, and didn't look like it had been opened in a while. Slowly he lifted the lid and a small creak noise flowed out.

The first thing was that it wasn't full, and was probably going to be filled up further in the future. Most of it seemed to be paper, pictures and receipts. Kurt rifled through it, and it seemed to be a lot of his mother's things. Letters that had been written to her, receipts from things that she'd bought. Pointless things, like shoes or groceries, and there were lots of pictures of Blaine and his brother. He moved through it as delicately as he could, when his fingers hit a brown envelope.

Kurt wrapped his fingers around it and pulled it from the bottom of the paper pile. He swivelled it around and Blaine's name was written on the front in neat handwriting. It was clearly a woman's handwriting, but it had faded a bit with time. The corners were bent and a bit ripped, but apart from that it had never been opened. The truth could be behind that envelope, but it had been hidden from Blaine. It was heavy and weighted and Kurt couldn't just leave it there.

He slipped it into his coat pocket and remembered that Blaine had told him he didn't know where his mother went. The letter must have been the answer to all of his questions, and perhaps the resolution to his problem of no family. Kurt couldn't believe he was holding it so close to his body.

He closed the lid to the case and put it back under the bed in the place he found it. He headed out, trying not to step on shards of glass, and shut the door behind him. He couldn't help but feel heavier as when he came in, which he technically was, because he was stealing. As it wasn't just one thing- it was three.

He decided the last place he would go would be Blaine's room. No more distractions, no more 'clues'. He would just grab the notebook and get the hell out of there. It was getting creepier by the second, and his body was tensing up at the thought of Blaine's dad getting home.

He walked in through Blaine's door and saw that the room really hadn't been touched. His bandages and band aids were ripped and lying on the floor, alongside a smashed guitar. Kurt knew how much Blaine loved his guitar, he always brought it everywhere with him. His bed was more out of place than his fathers was and the curtains were drawn shut so the room was darker than the rest.

Kurt didn't really know where Blaine would keep his notebook, but that wouldn't stop him from finding it. He'd found something under the bed in the other room, so why not in here? He lifted the bed cover and knelt to look underneath, and sure enough a battered and old book was lying up against the wall. His guitar had been lying under the bed last time, but something must have made his dad destroy it.

He reached under the bed and pulled it out. Kurt resisted the temptation to flick through, because he just wanted to get out and go home. He gripped it in front of his chest and headed towards the door when he heard the front door slam shut.

Was that the wind? Maybe it was. Maybe the breeze had gained momentum and just swooshed the door closed.

Or maybe...he wasn't alone.

Sure enough, he could hear heavy footsteps walking around downstairs and a deep voice murmuring to itself. He was there in the house with him. Kurt remembered what Blaine had said, _"He'd finish what he started, and I'm not strong enough to stop it. And he'd probably do the same thing to you."_ Kurt just realised that he didn't want to die. It didn't seem realistic, that someone could actually harm him right there and then, but he had a deep sense of dread in the pit of his stomach. He needed to get out. Now.

He took light footsteps against the back wall and inched his hand across the wall to the window so he could climb out to his car. As his hand reached past the curtains, he realised the window had a padlock on it. Now that hadn't been there last time. He jiggled it around a few times, hardly breathing so the rattling would be the only noise. He needed to be able to hear the man just underneath his feet.

The padlock Blaine's dad kept choosing didn't prove to be very strong. It broke and clattered noisily to the floor. Kurt froze. The footsteps clattering through the house stopped. There were no breaths or noises throughout the house for the next few seconds.

"BLAINE!?" His heavy footsteps clattered around again and he was thundering up the stairs. Kurt desperately tried to pull the window, but there was another lock on the other side. Kurt had no idea when his dad had managed to lock it from the outside, but he had.

He was getting closer, and Kurt spun around in a small circle taking deep breaths. He was at the top of the staircase. Kurt made for the bathroom attached to Blaine's bedroom and quietly pushed the door open. He was just outside the door. Kurt closed it gently behind him so it wouldn't make any noise, pressed himself against the wall and just prayed he wouldn't come in. He couldn't.

He pushed open the bedroom door and stepped inside. "Blaine?" His voice sounded desperate to Kurt, almost like he missed him or needed him. He pivoted around the room a few times before sighing. Kurt heard the bed springs squeak so he'd sat on the edge of Blaine's bed. The swill of an alcohol bottle could be heard through the door and Kurt knew he was drunk.

"Oh, Blaine..." He sounded like was crying, but it was probably the alcohol that was making him over emotional. That was probably one of the reasons he was always angry. Kurt wasn't breathing at all. He was just clutching the notebook to his chest and praying that he would fall asleep soon.

It was then he realised this was probably how Blaine felt all the time. He would always feel this way, and Kurt understood why he needed his therapist. This was messing with his head and he didn't know if he'd ever been so scared.

He heard him get to his feet and clomp heavily down the stairs. Kurt let go if his breath. Carefully he opened the door, and peered out. He could see the door and Blaine's father was nowhere near it. It was now or never. He bolted out of the room, down the stairs and jumped into his car in almost one movement. He heard a faint 'what the hell?' from inside the house, but didn't care. He just drove.

He needed to see Blaine, and tell him everything that just happened. Even if he would be mad.

* * *

When Kurt walked through the door his hands were still shaking. His breathing was erratic and hard, but he just needed to find Blaine. The picture, the locket and the letter were still buried in his pockets. The notebook was against his chest under the coat he was wearing.

He made his way down the stairs and hoped that when he opened the door Blaine would still be asleep. But that wasn't the case. When he opened it he was stared straight in the eye with an angry looking Blaine. Kurt didn't know how he would have figured it out just yet, but from the look in his eyes it felt like he had.

"...Hey, you're awake." He tried to hide any guilt or worry in his voice and gave him a smile. "Are you okay?" Blaine didn't say anything, he just glared at him as he moved around the room. His eyes were like steel and his voice was gravelly and deep.

"You went there, didn't you?" Kurt raised his eyebrows. There was no point lying, not with what he was about to show him. He adopted a guilty smile. "Yeah. Yeah, I did." Blaine's posture sunk like he would cry but his voice and face got angrier.

"You _promised_! You _promised_ me you wouldn't!" He wasn't yelling, but his voice was loud and Kurt was pretty sure that everyone else in the house could hear him. Kurt put his hand up in defence, keeping one in place to support Blaine's book. "I know, I know but I had to! And I found some stuff for you." He approached Blaine on the bed. "Look what I got!" He took the notebook out from his coat and held it out to Blaine.

Blaine stared at it with wide eyes and snatched it from his hands. He held it close to his chest before scooting up to the edge of the bed with his knees up to his chest. He wasn't even looking at Kurt, he was just staring off with a glare on his face. Kurt crawled over to him on the bed.

"Look, I know I promised but I didn't get hurt, and I brought you back some stuff I thought you'd want!" He went to dig into his pocket but Blaine grabbed his wrist. "Brought back stuff I want? This is not a scavenger hunt, Kurt, that stuff belongs there! You can't steal things! I don't _want_ your pity shit."

Kurt's mouth dropped. "I said I was sorry! Don't be mad, just be happy!" Blaine's grip loosened on his wrist enough so he could shove it into his pocket and grabbed the fragile picture. He held it out for Blaine to look at. Kurt could tell he didn't want to, but his eyes drifted to study what Kurt was offering. "You took that from my dining room table?"

Okay, so he recognised it. He didn't look happy. "Yeah...I thought you might want a picture of your family." Blaine shook his head. "No. I came here to get away from it! And I haven't seen either of them in years! Why would I want to be reminded of the fact that I was abandoned by my family?"

Kurt hadn't thought of that. He shrugged hopelessly and placed the picture on Blaine's knee so he could get into his other pocket. He pulled out the locket. "This was your moms, right?" Blaine looked at it with his face scrunched up, and tears started to form in his eyes. He once again snatched it from Kurt, but held it closer to his heart. Kurt hadn't noticed, but it was the necklace she was wearing in the picture he'd brought back.

"Where did you get this?" He was on the brink of bursting into tears, and some were already dripping down his face. Kurt stated silent because he already knew the answer. "You...you went into my dad's bedroom? That's even worse!" Kurt nodded and felt like crying himself. He knew that he shouldn't have done it but he did it anyway.

"Yeah, I did...and I found this." He slowly took the letter out of his pocket with trembling hands. Blaine already had both of his hands latched over the locket and pressing it onto his chest. He knew now how much it reminded him of his mother and he was close to breaking down about it. He couldn't think of how he would react to the letter. "I think it's from your mom."

Blaine's eyes moved over to it and obviously recognised the handwriting, because he choked back a sob before reaching out for it. He grabbed it and turned it over before getting up and walking towards the door. "Where are you going?"

Blaine shook his head. "I can't...I can't believe you Kurt. You promised." He was crying now, and Kurt got up to hug him. Blaine pushed him off. "I did it for you!" He didn't even look back before opening the door and limping up the stairs. "Don't...don't talk to me Kurt. I'm going upstairs. To...to my room."

Kurt reached out for him but couldn't stop him from slowly heading up the stairs. He sank to the floor and cried, because he was so selfish. He just wanted to hear one of his songs, but all of this had been unleashed because he just couldn't go without. He didn't know how Blaine would sleep on his own, and hoped he wouldn't suffer without him.

Then he wondered if Blaine was even reading the letter. And what was in it? Maybe they could find out where Blaine's mother was if Blaine could just let him try...


	17. Chapter 17

**I dont have much to say except thank you sosososo much to everyone reading this! The response is amazing, I never thought this would happen, especially with my first story. Please review, I love to hear what you think and if you have any ideas. Enjoy!**

* * *

Blaine slammed the door shut behind him and managed to sit down on the bed before he collapsed. He'd managed to get up two sets of stairs all by himself, and his lungs and body were on fire. It wasn't made easier by the fact he was crying but he managed.

It was the first time he'd been inside the spare room that was supposedly his. Ever since he'd gotten there he'd slept in Kurt's bed because of the nightmares, and Burt insisted it stayed that way. There were two boxes in the room so Burt could claim he was still cleaning it but Blaine didn't care. He wasn't going back downstairs to Kurt anytime soon. He was going to sleep there from now on for all he cared.

Blaine couldn't believe how Kurt had gone to that house when he'd promised not to. He didn't even know where to start if he had to explain why he was mad. Most of it was to do with the fact that Kurt had looked him in the eye and promised. To Blaine, a promise wasn't supposed to be broken and he wondered if Kurt even knew what it meant. He was his boyfriend, he should be the one person he could ask to do anything for him and be the most honest with, but when he actually asked him to promise he'd broken it. And trust wasn't easy to get back.

Another was how Kurt could've gotten seriously hurt. He did notice how Kurt was shaken up which made him think that he had a close call, and if he hadn't been so angry he would have asked. The only reason he hadn't wanted Kurt to go there in the first place was in case he got hurt. He knew what would have happened if he'd been hurt, and he made it clear what would, but it was almost as though Kurt didn't believe him. He knew how dangerous his dad potentially was, it had been his whole life. All of it had made him the maddest he'd been in a while.

But as he collapsed onto the bed with his back against the wall and his knees to his chest, all he wanted was Kurt. He wanted him to sit with him and calm him down, even if he was the source of his anger. Blaine knew deep down that Kurt had only gone for him, potentially risking himself in the process, but that wasn't something he could look past.

He was still holding everything that Kurt had found against his chest, some tighter than others. The picture was floating around against his arms, but Blaine didn't want to look at it. He had to look at it every day when he lived there and it hurt to see it. Whenever he saw the smiling face of his mother it reminded him of how she'd left with no reasoning, and abandoned him to live alone with his dad. Seeing Cooper didn't hurt him the same way his mother did, it was more subtle but somehow deeper.

He didn't remember spending much time with Cooper. When he did, it wasn't very happy or fun. It was always when they were dumped together to 'bond', or Blaine ran to hide in his room when he was scared. Some of the only memories he had was of sitting on the cupboard floor, being rocked in his older brothers arms after his dad had attacked him one night. He didn't have the best voice, but Cooper had sung his favourite song to him quietly to help him stop crying. He didn't even remember leaving. Maybe he'd fallen asleep there.

The only reason it was different was because when Copper had left, he wasn't alone. He still had his mother, and that was fine. He still had someone to rock him to sleep, even if it didn't quite feel the same. But even if he wasn't alone, at least his mother had given him some sort of farewell when she left. Copper had just been there when day and gone the next. The room next to Blaine's was empty, and the fact that his brother didn't care anymore was a hard concept for an eight year old to grasp.

He limply turned the picture over so it was face down. He didn't need to worry about it anymore. His notebook was lying near his feet and he didn't really care about it. He knew what was in it- he wrote in it every day. That wasn't what Kurt had found; it was what he went there for. It made Blaine think he was selfish to break a promise just hear some songs, but he cleared his mind of that though quickly. He didn't want to think of Kurt as selfish.

The thing he was clutching the tightest was his mother's locket. He knew what it was as soon as he saw it and it wasn't helping the many years he'd spent trying to forget her. He didn't want to not remember her, but he didn't want to care. He didn't want to break down and cry whenever he thought about her and how she left.

She wore that locket almost every day, and up until that moment he thought she'd taken it with her. It was one of the only things he'd ever bought his mother as a present. He remembered standing on tip-toes to see into the glass at the jewellery shop and immediately wanting to buy that for her. His young mind had thought a heart would show her how much he loved her, and the space inside of it could hold his lover for her to take around. That thought made him think she hadn't taken his love with her, but he had no idea. He didn't know why he left. The thing he wanted to know most was why.

And the thing he'd wanted for nearly six whole years could have been slotted under his arm. As a child he'd been fascinated with his mother's hand writing and he knew it straight away. Time had dulled it and it didn't look like an ink pen had been used, but it had obviously been written by her. He didn't know what was inside and he wasn't even sure he wanted to know.

He gently put the locket on his bed and coiled the chain around it so it didn't tangle or break. The last thing he wanted was to damage it. He pulled the envelope out from under his arm and ran his finger over his name. His tears had slowed, but that made them speed up again. He just hoped Kurt or anyone else in the house couldn't hear him.

He didn't know if he wanted to open it or not. His name was written on it and it was obviously meant for him, but just because he was supposed to read it didn't really mean he wanted to. Blaine twirled it around in his fingers, trying to slow his breathing, and wondered what he would have done if he'd found it when he was meant to. He could only guess it was a letter to say goodbye but he wasn't sure.

Blaine held his breathe and bit his lip to stop himself from shaking. He must have gotten into such a state over it for a reason, and his mother wanted him to read it. She'd taken the time to write it for him-and she must have written a lot for it to be so heavy- so he should take the time to read it. He didn't want to disappoint her.

It was hard for him to open the letter while his hands were shaking and there were still tears falling down his face. In the end he just ripped it open without tearing the letter inside. He pulled it out, and he could still feel the weight of something else in the envelope. He wasn't worried about that, he just wanted to see what she had written for him.

As he opened the paper he was hit with the smell of her perfume. It wasn't strong on her necklace, even if she had worn it all the time, but the letter hit him with nostalgia from being a child. From being safer. The paper was fragile and frail, and e was scared to hold it. The only left to do was read it.

_"Dearest Blaine,_

_I think this is the hardest letter I've ever had to write. I know you hate me right now, and that's okay. You're allowed not to like me at the moment, and if you don't I still love you very much. I love you with all of my heart, which makes this harder to do. I know all of this will be hard to understand but it's the only way."_

Blaine started to cry heavier. He could still hear her voice in his head and the whole letter was written in the exact way she would have talked. He guessed he was supposed to have gotten it when she left, do she would be talking to him like he was a twelve year old.

_"When you read this, I'm not going to be at home anymore and I hate to say that I'm not coming back. It's going to be just you and your dad for a while, but not long. I know he scares you and makes you feel small, but he loves you just as much as I do. So please don't be scared. You're a very brave boy, Blaine, and I know you'll be okay._

_I know it will have seemed like I didn't care very much when I left, but that's not true. I care so much about you Blaine and I don't want you to forget it. It's just that if your father had heard me saying goodbye I wouldn't have been able to leave. I hope you do get this letter, because without it you'll probably hate me for the way I left."_

Blaine gritted his teeth through the tears. He hadn't gotten the letter, his father had gotten to it first, and what she'd said had been right. He had hated his mother for a while after because of the way she left. He hated the way his dad made him believe it was his fault, and he hated the feeling she didn't love him enough to stay and help. That she didn't care.

_"I hope you know that I only left because I had to. Part of the reason of this letter is to tell you why I did. You see Blaine, the adult world is very complicated and there wasn't just one reason to stay or to go. The main reason to stay was for you, but the main reason for leaving was for us. This will be better for us all, I know it will._

_I know you don't understand it, but the way your dad treats you isn't the way dads should. He shouldn't hurt you or say the things he does, and no father should make their little boy cry. Up until now I've been doing my best to make us all happy, but it isn't working. Copper left because he was sad, but now he's happy. He misses you terribly, Blaine but he's happier now than he was. That's what I want for us all."_

Cooper was happy. Without him. Blaine hadn't seen him since he was eight, almost ten years, and he was probably still happy. Blaine wondered if his brother even thought about him anymore or even cared. He knew this letter would hold no answers about how his family was feeling so many years later because his mother wrote it before he left. But he just wanted to see them and see if they still cared at all about him.

_"The only way I can think to make us all happy is for me to leave for a little while. I know you're only little Blaine, you've always been my baby, but I'm going to talk to you like an adult because I'm not sure how to describe all of this. Okay?_

_What your dad does is actually against the law. Normally when someone does something like that, they go to prison. If what they've done isn't bad enough, they get taken away from the people that they are hurting. Your dad hurts you, but we can't make him go to prison._

_If we did tell the police about your dad, then he would probably get taken away from you and me, but that wouldn't be the end of it. Your dad has some not very nice friends, and if we made him go away they wouldn't be very happy. I don't know what they would do, but I know it wouldn't be very good."_

He knew the friends she was talking about. They came to his house a lot to get drunk and high with his dad. He remembered one night when he was forced to share a bed with one of them when he was fourteen, and he had to lie there as still as a rock an try not to wake the snoring drug addict next to him. Nothing happened, but it shook him to his core.

_"That's why I left. They don't know where I am and they can't get to me, and neither can your dad. I'm sure that this place is safe, and I know you're going to love it here. The house is nice and big so you can run around, there a lots of other children and nice people to talk to. It'll just be you and me Blaine, and Cooper doesn't live too far away. We can be happy together here and everything will be fine."_

Blaine put a hand over his mouth. Even with the age of the paper, he could see the faint tear marks on the words she'd written. He knew they weren't his because he was trying so hard not to get them on there. The life she described was all he had ever wanted and it sounded like all his mother wanted too.

_"When I leave, I'll give you a phone to call me. I know you know how to use it but don't call me in my saved name. That number isn't real and it won't work, because if your dad sees it and calls it then it won't be my real number. If he did get it, he could find you and me again when we get here. I'm saved under your dad. If you call it you can talk to me again."_

Blaine shut his eyes and whimpered. He'd been calling his mothers contact name for years in the hope that she would pick up just once, but she never had. He knew now that he wasn't calling anyone. But worst of all, he'd been carrying her real number around with him for nearly six years. If he'd even called his 'dad' just once, which of course he never had, he would have been able to speak to her.

He didn't want to keep reading, because who knew what else he could have missed? It could have gotten worse and he was hating himself already. If he'd just called that number, or gotten this stupid letter then he wouldn't be sitting there right now, barely able to use his own body.

_"I hope you do call me and I hope you're not to mad at me for leaving. I couldn't bring you with me, you know how your father always has his eyes on you. I just wouldn't have been able to get you away from him. But now I can. It's hard to explain through a letter, which is why you need to call me. _

_I love you so much Blaine, and I'm so sorry I couldn't be a better mother to you. But we'll be together soon okay? Just know that whenever you call I will always, always pick up, and in all the years of my life I will not change that number. If in twenty years you finally forgive me, then I'll pick up straight away. _

_In case you don't want to come with me, I've left you some money. I know the house doesn't always have the freshest food, and a growing boy will need clothes. I love you so much, and I hope I'll see you soon._

_Love Mom"_

Blaine folded up the letter again and pressed it to his chest. He knew now what was still in the envelope but he didn't want it. He didn't quite know what to do after he'd read all that except to cry. Everything he thought he knew about his mother was different.

He thought she'd abandoned him because it was too difficult for her, but it turned out all of it had been for him. She must have thought that the reason she hadn't called was because he hated her but he didn't, all he wanted was her. Immediately he wanted to call her, but then he realised that he had no phone. He sat up to reach for it, but then remembered his phone didn't even exist anymore. It had been smashed on the night he left.

Up until then, he'd been crying almost silently, but after realising that he couldn't hold it in anymore. He erupted into a loud mess of sobs and he was pretty sure that everyone could hear it. He didn't care. At that moment he found out that his whole life could have changed, that he could have lived a happy life and be free and it was still an option. His mother would still pick up if he called, but he didn't have the number anymore. As soon as it was given, it was taken away and he could never get it back.

He must have been louder than he thought, because after a few minutes there was a knock at the door. He was slumped against the wall with his knees drawn up. He wasn't really in any shape to tell them to go away, but he didn't want anyone to see him. They obviously took the silence as an invitation in, and Blaine looked up to see Kurt pushing the door open.

Kurt looked at him in in surprise and with the smallest part of pity. He stayed stood behind the door and stared him straight in the eye, asking for silent permission to walk in. Blaine sniffed and tried to slow his breathing. "Go away, Kurt." His voice was gravelly and low and he narrowed his eyes to show he definitely wanted to be left alone.

Kurt didn't listen and took a few steps forward. He was still holding the door with one of his hands. "Did you read it? Are you okay?" Blaine sighed and sat up from the wall, and spoke louder. "Go away, Kurt." He was still holding the letter in his hand so it was obvious that he had.

Kurt shook his head and walked forward to Blaine. He shuffled to the furthest side of the bed so that Kurt would be far away when he got there. Kurt sat on the edge of the bed, and the weight made Blaine's mothers locker fall to the floor. "Kurt!" He apologised a few times before picking it up, and Blaine snatched it from his hands.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I just...I wanted to see if you were okay. Especially if this is all my fault." Blaine felt like that was a way to guilt him into forgiving him, but it was true. If he hadn't known about this letter then he wouldn't be so upset. If Kurt hadn't gone to the house he wouldn't have to be mad at him. All he kept thinking was ignorance is bliss.

Blaine shook his head. He just wanted him to go away more than anything else. He wanted to be alone for once and not have to watch himself around people. "Kurt, just...I'm not mad but, please just go. I...I don't want to see anyone." Kurt nodded, but didn't make any move to say he was about to leave.

"I'll go, but...why are you so upset? What did it say?" Blaine didn't really know what to say. He didn't know if Kurt should see it, but without him Blaine wouldn't even have been able to read it. After a few seconds he shrugged and handed the letter gently to him. Kurt looked surprised, like he hadn't expected to be able to read it first hand, but he looked down and scanned the writing in his hands.

Blaine saw the different reactions as he kept reading and knew exactly what he was thinking or which section he had got to. By the end he had his hand over his mouth. He looked over to Blaine with tears in his eyes and said "Blaine, I'm so sorry." Blaine just nodded. Everyone he ever knew could be sorry but that wouldn't change anything. Kurt knew that his phone had been smashed because he'd been wanting to him a new one.

Kurt chewed his lip. "This might sound insensitive but...how much money did she give you?" He looked over to the envelope. "I don't know, I didn't look. But..." He grabbed it carefully and handed it to his boyfriend. "...you can look if you want." Kurt looked at it for a bit before taking it carefully and looking inside. His mouth dropped slightly before he composed himself.

"Blaine there must be...I don't even know how much money this is, most of it is in hundreds I think." Blaine didn't say anything. He didn't care at all how much money there was in there because it didn't do anything. "And...I think you should see this." Kurt was holding a small piece of paper in his hand and gestured towards Blaine. He didn't want to but he took it anyway.

There was a number written on it, and just below, a message also in his mother's handwriting.

_"Don't let your father see this, but I'd you ever lose your phone or can't reach me, my number is here. I love you so much." _

Blaine just stated at it before looking over to Kurt, who had the same speechless expression on his face. Maybe he could still have a mother after all.


	18. Chapter 18

**Hiya everyone! I know not a lot has happened in this chapter, but its a bit of background on Blaine's life and more will happen next time. I got a review with a suggestion and I'm going to write it in so please review so I can make you all happy. Thank you all, I love you so much!**

"So...are you going to call her?"

Blaine didn't look at Kurt, he kept his eyes down on the piece of paper. The number there could connect him to the only family he had left yet he still didn't know if he wanted to. Of course he missed his mother and Cooper, but he wouldn't let that make his decision.

To be honest, there wasn't a lot for him to miss. Of course he remembered them because he hadn't been that young when they left, but the memories he had weren't ones that could be described as happy. The way he missed them probably wasn't him missing the particular people, he was just longing for a sense of family, and they were the closest he could come to.

He was pretty sure as soon as he called his mother everything would change. Blaine couldn't imagine how she felt when he hadn't called for a week, then a month, then a year. It had been almost six years now and he wondered if she was still waiting for that phone to ring.

But even if he did, he'd have to tell her everything that happened to him and she would surely blame herself. He knew she already would hate herself for leaving and these were the consequences. Truthfully, he was still mad as well. He was mad at her for leaving, and he didn't want to accidentally tell her that.

But mostly, he would be no good to her now. She would expect him to suddenly start being his son again and he couldn't do that. He doubted that he would be able to hold a conversation with her on the phone let alone face to face. Blaine wasn't the person that she used to know, and he wasn't going to let her believe that he was. She could wait until he was back to a better state of mind.

"No." He said plainly, folding the piece of paper in half delicately. He glanced over to Kurt who looked nothing but surprised. He obviously didn't want to say anything against his decision, but Blaine could see the lingering question hidden behind his lips. He understood-there didn't seem to be much logic behind it from the outside.

"But...why not?" Kurt looked into Blaine's eyes like they were holding the answer, but Blaine looked away. He knew they were still pink and slightly puffy from all the crying. He didn't expect Kurt to understand, though. Blaine just didn't want his mother to see a version of her son that she didn't know, he didn't want her to see the haunted shell of himself his father had turned him into.

"I just can't. Not yet." He fixed Kurt a look that meant he would in the future, because he was going to. As soon as Doctor Mayward had gotten him better he could face her again. If she'd waited this long she may as well wait until the Blaine that called her was one she recognised. Kurt didn't look persuaded. He looked annoyed.

"What is it, Kurt?" He couldn't be bothered to deal with it but he did all the same. He didn't know why he was even talking to Kurt, he was still mad at him for what he did. Kurt sighed and locked his jaw. "I don't understand why you 'just can't'." He definitely sounded annoyed. "You can finally reach her and finally get something back, and you say no? Now you know your mom isn't dead and-"

Woah, wait. Dead? Blaine had no idea where that had come from. He never said anything about that and he had no idea where Kurt had even gotten the idea to say that. Kurt was still talking while Blaine's eyes widened. "-you're not even jumping around for joy. I just think it's kind of insensitive. If I found out my mom was alive I would give anything to call her."

Blaine didn't say anything, he just sat there with his eyebrows furrowed. It was silent until - "I never said she was dead, Kurt." He looked over and Kurt was frozen with a look on his face Blaine couldn't quite read. He started to pick at the bed sheet but didn't look away, and Blaine knew he was hiding something. "I never said anyone was dead."

Blaine wouldn't lie- he had thought that maybe sometimes his mother was dead. She'd said goodbye, but never for a reason good enough to justify. He wondered if she was saying it quickly and in case, like she knew what his father was going to do. The whole family was definitely aware of what he was capable of, they all had been since very early on. He could kill, and Blaine was very nearly on the receiving end of it.

But just because she'd sent that letter a few years ago didn't mean she had to be alive. Six years could be quite a long time and while Blaine knew she'd gotten away from his dad anything could have happened. People die every day. Kurt was only alive for a little over six years before his mother died. He tried to push that thought away-he didn't need another reason to think she was gone.

"Don't worry, it doesn't matter." Kurt got to his feet and cleared his throat, fixing to leave Blaine and the hole he'd made in the bed sheet there while he ran away. Blaine wondered if he should just let him go, after all Kurt could have wondered exactly the same things as he had. The only thing that made him stop him was what if he knew something Blaine didn't? He sounded so sure that his mother was actually dead.

"No, it does. What made you so sure?" Kurt stiffened again but he didn't sit back down. His hands had nothing to fiddle with so he ended up putting them in the pockets of his trousers. He shrugged, but that wasn't the answer Blaine was looking for. "Answer me, Kurt."

He sighed. "It's just...one night when you were having a nightmare..." Blaine didn't know which one he meant, as he had them every night, but he let Kurt continue. It didn't really matter, and if he said anything Kurt would surely find a way to talk about that rather than what Blaine wanted to know. "You said something like...kill me, like you did her. I just thought you were talking about your mom."

Blaine shut his eyes tight. He always dreamt of that night, in Kurt's mind anyway, and he knew that must have been something he said while he was being attacked. Blaine didn't want to remember, but he had to know why he'd said that. Who had he been talking about? Was it his mother? He knew his dad had done cruel things to him, but he'd never shown too many people outside of the home-especially not to other women.

Did Kurt really say that? Hear that? _Kurt._ He could hear him asking his name but he wasn't listening. He needed to know why he said that, who he'd said it about and when during the night. He didn't have very good memory of that night, but he was pretty sure he would be able to remember saying something like that. And even if he couldn't, he should have been able to remember who he was talking about.

He broadened his mind. Not just that night. When else might he have said something like that? He never retaliated much to his father, so one like that must have been monumentally punished. Once when he was moody and hated life he'd told his dad to 'suck it', and Blaine could remember every injury that resulted.

He thought back to what he said. "Kill me, like you did her." Apart from that night he had no idea when he would have begged for death. When he was little he wouldn't have done that. He might have screamed and cried, but never that. His younger self only ever wanted to get better. He had to get better all the time, after abuse, violence and especially after the Sadie Hawkins dance.

...Sadie Hawkins. Blaine remembered after he'd gotten out of the hospital his father had laid into him about his sexuality, but most of all, how he hadn't been careful enough. His dad was a smart man despite it all, and the people at the hospital could have easily recognised the abuse. Blaine put it down to either he was a good liar, or they didn't care about an injured, gay child.

What had happened after the dance? He knew the abuse, the way it had scarred terribly when bullies had already beaten him half to death over something he couldn't control. But what had been said? He needed to remember, and then maybe he'd know who he was talking about. He just had to remember...

* * *

_"The drive home felt shorter than it should have been. His father had never been the most careful of drivers, but despite what the speedometer said this felt like the fastest he'd ever driven. He tried not to slouch in his seat even if his father hadn't looked him in the eye since he'd arrived at hospital. He didn't like it when he slouched. _

_His crutches were laid across the backseat of the car and Blaine didn't like how far away they were from him. His father could easily deny his right to them once he got out the car to make him even more of an easy and vulnerable target. He knew Blaine was gay now, and though most people worry what their parent will think, he was worried about what his parent would do. _

_Once the people at the hospital let slip as to why it happened, he hadn't said anything to him. Before he'd been fake worried so that they would think he cared, but after that it was silence, silence before the storm Blaine thought. _

_Just once he wanted to be looked at or talked to so he knew he was an actual person in his father's eyes. If he was too distant to even acknowledge his existence, he wouldn't be close enough to not want to hurt him after his accident. Blaine wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight the way he was. Normally he would kick and try to fight, at least so he could say he tried, but he couldn't. It was hard enough to get to the car._

_As the car rolled to a stop, Blaine wished he was back at the hospital. That would have been better, because at least in the silences he had the beeps of machines and faint noises of other people to focus on. Now it was just dead air. In that moment there were lots of places he'd rather be than in that car._

_He'd rather be back at the dance, five minutes before it happened, so he could take himself and his friend back into the dance hall again where it was safe. He'd rather be at school with all the taunts because they were words and words couldn't touch him. When they did shove him, at least it would only be a random student who hated him, not the man who was supposed to be his family. He'd rather be back on the day his mother left, because although it was one of the saddest days of his life, his father was too preoccupied to care about him. _

_He thought about his mother a lot, especially as they came to a stop. It'd been two years since she left, and still hurt just as much as before. But instead of a brand new pain, the one he was allowed to feel for a while, it was a dull ache in the centre of his chest that wouldn't go away no matter how much he tried. Even at fourteen he knew he was in pieces and that no one would be able to paste him back together. _

_He didn't know where his mom was, but he didn't suspect the best. She'd left so sudden and so soon. Blaine wasn't allowed into his father's bedroom very much, but he could tell that most of her things were left out, almost like a shrine. A shrine. Weren't they for dead people...? No. He had to stop himself from shaking his head whilst sitting in the car. She wasn't dead, she couldn't be. He'd rather she didn't care and left than his father did...that. _

_Maybe he could prove she was okay. A car couldn't be that hard to work. He'd seen it done before, and despite his body he could still drive away as soon as his father got out. He'd find her and they'd be happy again, she wouldn't make him do things while he was hurt and she would make sure he was never hurt again. He'd just grab the wheel, drive and-_

_"Get out the car Blaine."_

_His voice was sharp like a knife and cut through the air so intensely Blaine was afraid the words would slice through him. He changed his mind-he wanted his father to go back to being silent. The talking wasn't making him feel any more human in his eyes, in fact he felt himself visibly wilting. He tried to straighten out but it hurt too much. Everything hurt too goddam much. _

_He gingerly opened the car door and stepped out, the pain snaking up his legs as soon as they hit the floor. It felt like it was coming from the ground and not his own body which made it hard to walk even without the pain. He hobbled to the back door, using the car as a support so he could grab his crutches, but he felt a pressure on his wrist to stop him._

_His father had silently made his way behind him, and he was trying to drag him away from his crutches. He wanted them, he needed them, but his dad thought otherwise. He looked behind him quickly and saw two people he didn't know the name's of walking on the opposite side of the road. He hoped they would see the fear in his eyes, the limp in his step or grip in his wrist but they didn't. They just smiled and waved as if they knew him, and Blaine figured they must have. _

_The front door loomed like the accident had made him smaller. His father still reached up to the same height against it as he had before, so he must have gotten bigger too. Everything was big, too big, and he was just not big enough for the world he was in. His father pushed the door open and pushed him roughly inside. It hurt his legs to much to stumble and catch himself, so instead he fell to wooden flooring with a loud smack. He could only just use his arms to stop his head from hitting the floor._

_He crawled out of the way so his dad could walk in behind him. He shut the door and walked slowly around Blaine who was still on the floor. The lights got flicked on, but the rays didn't seem to make it any less dark. The only noise that could be heard were his father's feet slowly taking heavy steps and the dragging sound of clothes on wood as Blaine tried to pull himself up._

_He could feel his father's eyes on him as he grabbed the banister to hold his weight. Blaine had had the pain before, but it wasn't even his father's fault, and he knew there was more coming. He hadn't told his father he was gay because he'd known he'd beat him senseless. Now the same thing was going to happen, but he could hardly move already. _

_Blaine kept his head down. He just wanted to go to his room and go to sleep-he was exhausted. But before he knew it, his father had grabbed his wrist tightly like he had outside, but this time threw it forward and let go once Blaine was off balance, making his fall harshly onto the floor after he'd just struggled to his feet. _

_His father went to shove him, but Blaine managed to grip onto his sleeves and skidded slightly to keep himself upwards. It hurt, but he was pleased with himself at the look on his father's face, which could only be described as a picture of pure rage. He let go of the material on his shirt and stepped backwards, only before stepping forward and swinging a punch at the same height of Blaine's face. _

_Blaine ducked, but the speed made his legs buckle and he fell to the ground. He had landed so he was sitting, but Blaine's father quickly took the advantage and kicked him hard in the chest so he was on his back. Blaine could feel the pressure on him when his father stepped down on him with most of his weight, and he couldn't breathe. His chest hurt in a different way than it normally did and he saw the quick smug smile cross his father's face while he struggled for air_

_Soon he stepped off and Blaine sucked in a mouthful of oxygen. He wheezed a couple of times before struggling into a sitting position. He had a bruise on his chest already from the attack, and that just caused a fire to burn through his body. _

_"Get up." The steely voice cut through the air again, ordering Blaine like it had done many times before. Blaine was too busy focusing in breathing that he didn't follow the instructions, an even if he had he wouldn't have followed them anyway. A quick hand shot into his hair and wrapped its fingers around it, before pulling upwards. "I said, get up." _

_Blaine's father pulled his hair to make him stand a lot, and it never stopped hurting any less. He used his own legs to push himself up to take the pressure off his head, but the combination of the two made him cry out in pain. He hadn't wanted too, but that was too much. The sound looked like it was music to his father's ears. _

_He hadn't let go when he said- "The doctors told me why you were beat up," Blaine whimpered. He knew what was coming at the end of the sentence, and normally his father would say his name after he'd said something like that. He guessed maybe it was too hard for him to say now. "They told me you were at the dance with another boy!" _

_He spat the last word in his face before letting go of his hair and gripping his wrist once again. It was_ _so small that his fingers overlapped each other when he did it. He had big hands, but the thinness and frailness still worried Blaine. He stared him straight in the eye. "Tell me, why were you with another boy?"_

_Blaine knew the answer, but he didn't want to say it. He was scared of the word, the answer, the reaction. In a way he was scared of his sexuality, and that made him scared of himself. But he didn't want to be scared of himself-his father was the scary one and even the fear of him made his angry. He could be who he wanted and that meant he could be gay if he wanted. It would make no change to the amount of respect he got because he got none. _

_"Because I'm gay." His voice was clear and cool, but he felt like he was shaking. What he'd said wasn't really true. He wasn't that boys date, they only went as friends. But if he wasn't gay, he'd probably have had a date to go with. That probably would have been set up by the friends he'd have. They would have protected him if those guys still felt like beating up a straight boy, which they probably wouldn't have. _

_His father's eyes bored into his head with shock and anger. He bent his wrist backwards with the grip_ _he had until Blaine spun around, and his arm was bent over his back. It pulled on his shoulder and his back was now to his father so he couldn't see what was coming. His arm was stretched so he couldn't help but bending over slightly and he could feel his hand touching the top of his head. _

_His father loomed over him and whispered in his ear from behind him. "What did you say to me?" Be already knew he was gay, the hospital worker had told him, but he probably didn't want Blaine to say it himself. Blaine swallowed and tried not to let the pain show in his voice. "I said, because I'm gay." _

_His father pulled his wrist higher and he let out a yell of pain. He could tell he was in for a lecture, but he didn't care. He kicked his leg out behind him and it collided with his fathers' knee. He'd never hurt him back before, so the shock made his grip falter and Blaine managed to wriggle away. _

_He didn't get far away before a grip welded onto the collar of his shirt. He wrapped his arm around Blaine's neck and once again Blaine couldn't breathe. While he was hammering his arm against his arm, Blaine heard him whisper into his ear. "No son of mine is gay." Blaine knew it was only a few seconds until the abuse rained down, so he took a risk, one final defeat, and rasped out- "I guess I'm not your son then."_

_That made his father snap and he was shoved to the ground before he felt the kicks rain down on his already battered body. Most of them were aimed at Blaine's lower half to cause the most pain, but a few of them were to his head, so much so his vision started to blur. The stitches that had been sewn into his skin were starting to open and he felt faint. The pain was intense and he couldn't do much to protest._

_His father placed a knee on his chest like he had with his foot and placed his face above Blaine's. "You are my son. No matter how much I wish you weren't, you are. You have to be. But you will not be gay, I forbid you." He then slammed his fist into the side of Blaine's face from above and he let out another shout. _

_He felt like he was going to cry, but he tried to hold it in. "You can't stop it...you can't stop anything." His voice was high. His father stopped moving and the pressure on his chest lightened a bit. Blaine wanted to keep talking. "You couldn't stop Cooper from leaving, could you? He left you." He couldn't move, and his head was lolled to one side but he could talk. From the look on his father's face he was on the right track. _

_"You couldn't stop mom from leaving." His father's face hardened. "She did not leave me! It's your_ _fault she's gone!" Blaine felt the doubt rising up in him again. It didn't feel like she'd left at all, and his father sounded like he was lying or covering up. His father was letting his rage out on Blaine's body again, but he could hardly feel it anymore. He had to ask, it wouldn't matter what he did, he already felt like he was going to die. _

_"Where is she dad?" He managed to cry out between hits. "Did you do this to her?" Blaine's father stopped hitting him and his hands went limp. He didn't grab anything, he didn't approach him and if Blaine hadn't been in so much pain he might have seen the sadness flash past his eyes. _

_"Is she dead?" It was his turn to have his words cut through the air. It was silent. Without words, Blaine was pulled up by his shirt, but his legs couldn't support his weight. He grabbed his father's shoulders, even if they were high up, almost like he was giving him a hug. _

_Still holding up his son, he said "Don't talk to me that way. No son of mine will be a faggot, and there's no way you're going back to that school. You're going to a different one, where I don't have to look at your pitiful face. Pack your bags. This way I can pretend up don't even exist." He shoved him backwards onto the stairs, leaving him to walk up himself._

_Blaine felt like he was worth nothing. He didn't see the point in life if his own family hated_ _him for something he couldn't control. As he walked away, Blaine said "If you hate me that much, why don't you just kill me, like you did her!" _

_That was the last thing he said before he was knocked unconscious by a harsh punch, and left to bleed on the stairs._

* * *

Blaine opened his eyes. Kurt was gone, and it was darker outside than when he closed them. He had no idea how long he'd sat there, but the memories must have taken longer to piece together than he'd thought. He felt like he needed to talk to Kurt, but he was exhausted from everything that had gone on that night.

All of the things from his house were put nearly on the dresser beside the bed, and Blaine smiled. Kurt did care about him. It was only then he must have realised how weird it must have been to put all those things away while he was just sitting there with his eyes closed.

He couldn't see a clock anywhere because the room was new but he felt ready for bed. Blaine ran his hand over his face and felt fresh tears tracking down them, so the memory must have made him cry. He got up and shut the curtains, but when he was about to go to sleep he realised his pyjama's were still in Kurt's room. Blaine guessed he should probably say goodnight to Kurt as well, because despite what had happened that day he still loved him.

He headed downstairs to say goodnight and get his pyjamas, and e still had to tell Burt he was sleeping in that room. He didn't know how well that would go down with him, but at least he was closer to him for when he had a nightmare.

* * *

Burt had no idea what had gone after Blaine's first day back at school. Kurt had gone out before dinner, and he'd heard a lot of shouting from both boys and some crying on Blaine's behalf. He could hear him trying to muffle the sound and wished he wouldn't, he just wished Blaine would go to someone for help or to feel better.

Kurt was sitting on the sofa next to him and he didn't looked happy. He looked like he was about to cry or pass out from exhaustion. The television was on but it was mostly for background noise. Kurt was staring straight at it, but his eyes were unfocused and glassy like there was a war going on behind them.

Burt felt like he was talking but Kurt wasn't responding, but whenever he had that though he remembered he hadn't actually said anything. Ever since the day Blaine had arrived on his doorstep, he'd been trying to let Kurt have his space but also being close enough for him to be able to lean on him. It was difficult for everyone.

They'd been sitting in silence with each other for about fifteen minutes when they heard Blaine's almost silent footsteps down the stairs. It frightened Burt just how quiet Blaine could make himself walk. He didn't turn the television down because it sounded like he wanted to be unnoticed. He forgot about it until Blaine was inside the room and making Burt jump.

"You alright, Blaine?" Kurt looked up at him with wide eyes but Blaine kept his eyes on Burt. "Yeah I just...goodnight I guess. I'm gonna sleep upstairs tonight..." Blaine seemed unsure and Kurt looked like his heart had just been broken in two. Burt knew Blaine didn't like having to sleep in Kurt's bed, but he never thought he'd actually stop doing it. It just made him wonder what they'd been fighting about.

"Are you sure? I mean...you haven't before. Will you be okay?" Blaine nodded and started to fiddle with his shirt. "Yeah, I think..." Blaine was silent. His eyes were wide and glued to TV screen, but Burt couldn't see what was so interesting. Without saying another word he grabbed the remote from the couch. The two other men looked at each other confused while Blaine rewound it a few seconds.

Burt didn't understand. It wasn't even the programme, it was the adverts. He didn't understand what was so important as to interrupt their conversation. Blaine paused it on the image of a man, the one that always annoyed from those cheesy, cheap television adverts. He walked closer to it slowly. Kurt was confused. Burt was confused. They didn't know why Blaine was staring at the screen as if he'd seen another dimension.

"Blaine...? What's wrong?" This was the first time Kurt had said anything and they were both truly weirded out. Blaine continued to stare, squinting his eyes like he couldn't see. Kurt knew he hadn't had a TV before and yes the guy was hot, but he didn't know why he was staring at him do intently.

"That's...that's Cooper..." He stepped backwards from the screen and threw the remote away like he'd been burnt. "That's my brother, it's...that's Cooper!" He was smiling widely and laughing, but neither man celebrated with him. They looked at each other and gave a knowing look. They'd both read the booklet and they knew what this was.

Blaine's smile faltered. "What? It is, I know it is!" Burt stood up and put a hand to his shoulder, glad the boy wasn't flinching like he would have done before. "Blaine...I don't think that's your brother." Blaine furrowed his eyebrows and stepped backwards. "But...yes it is! It is him!"

"Blaine..." He knew this was going to be hard to explain, and he wouldn't have the best reaction. "I know you miss him, but that man isn't your brother. You might think he is, but think clearly. You can't let the fact that you miss him make you think he's random people on the street. But don't worry about it buddy, it's normal for people who are feeling the same as you."

Burt thought he'd explained it well, but apparently not. He stepped backwards out of them room and put a hand on his head. "That is my brother. I'm not crazy, just because I was abused doesn't mean I'm tricking myself. It is! It is him!" He stepped backwards even more. "And I'll prove it to you."

He turned around and went upstairs, obviously intent on searching up the man on the advert. Kurt didn't want him to be disappointed, but he couldn't help but think that the man on the screen looked similar to the boy in the photo he'd seen that day. Maybe Blaine was right. His family seemed to be coming together alarmingly fast...


	19. Chapter 19

**I'm so, so, so sorry at how long this took me to update. I know its been exactly one month and I'm really embarrassed at how long it took but I was in Spain for a while and then I got some bad news. I know thats no excuse but I just couldn't find the time. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter nad thank you everyone for following and reviewing. PLease leave a review as well, they really help. Enjoy!**

* * *

Blaine felt like he would collapse by the time he got upstairs, but he was too excited and amazed to rest. He knew that the man on the screen was Cooper, he'd known him his whole life and Burt had never even seen his face. He had no way of telling if it was or wasn't him, but he had every intention of proving Burt wrong.

It was only once he was standing still in the centre of the room when he realised he had absolutely no ways of looking up the commercial he'd just seen. There wasn't a laptop or a computer that he knew of in that room, and he didn't have a phone to search up anything. But he had one thing- he had all the memories of his brother safely locked away.

He sat down on the bed and started to think. The man had the same cool, blue eyes that used to watch him carefully every day to make sure he was okay. The same eyes that would skim over all of the injuries Blaine had from a distance, and the same eyes that showed all of his sadness when he realised just how much pain his little brother was in.

In the commercial he'd been singing, and even if he hadn't sounded the best he'd always sung when he was younger. Blaine had always wanted to join in, but he wasn't allowed. He hadn't been good enough. Cooper was the only one that was allowed to enjoy himself. Blaine had no idea what would have brought his brother to be in a commercial. When they were younger he'd always wanted to be a police officer, but now he was an actor?

He'd grown up considerably since he'd left- he was taller and stronger, and there was much more fat and muscle on him which made him a bit harder to recognise. But other than that Blaine couldn't see much difference. His hair was the same floppy, brown shape. His goofy smile was the same and easy for Blaine to know. He knew it was him no matter what they said.

He was still thinking when there was a knock at the door. He looked up and saw Kurt walking through. At first he wanted to smile, but then he remembered what he'd done that day. He'd almost forgiven him for it even if he hadn't wanted to, because he was Kurt. He was Kurt, the boy who'd always been there to make everything better. Blaine couldn't be mad at him for long.

But then he didn't even believe him about his brother and called him crazy. Blaine knew how crazy it sounded-he even wondered it himself as he looked into the television, saying that it couldn't be him, it couldn't be him, it couldn't be him. But it was Cooper, Blaine knew it with every fibre of his being. And for Kurt to just sit there and say 'no' wasn't what he'd been looking for.

Neither of them said anything. Blaine just sat on the bed with his back against the wall while Kurt made his way over to him, laptop in hand. Once he got to the edge of the bed he finally spoke up. "Hey. Are you okay?" Blaine had lost count of how many times he'd been asked that in the past few weeks. Most of the time the answer should've been no, but he would just nod along. And that's what he did then.

"Good. Look, I'm sorry about what happened downstairs. My dad shouldn't have said that and I shouldn't have let him." Blaine looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "But- and don't get mad at me for asking this- do you really think that was Cooper?"

Blaine let out a sigh. He knew Kurt just wanted to check and make sure, but it felt an awful lot like he was approving him. He shouldn't have to say it twice. "Yes. I'm sure it was him, I am." Kurt nodded but he didn't look very convinced that what Blaine was saying was the truth. "Okay. Then we'll look it up. Right now. But before we do, I just want to say...dont be disappointed if it isn't him. It just doesn't seem likely to me."

Blaine nodded and scooted closer to Kurt so he could see the screen of his laptop. Blaine wasn't preparing himself because he knew he wasn't wrong. Something inside of him could feel a pull, like the man in the commercial was physically dragging him forward. It was like the way Blaine had felt when he first saw Kurt- like he needed to get closer and like he'd known him his whole life.

Kurt fired up his laptop and it wasn't long before it came to life. As Kurt typed his password and waited for everything to load, Blaine thought some more. At the end of the commercial, the man had his arms wide open, out to his side. Although the action had probably been directed and he would have had no choice but to do it, Blaine remembered it. His big brother used to kneel down on one knew and offer a hug once he'd been hurt. He just wished that it could happen one last time.

"Okay. What do you want to search?" Kurt turned the laptop his way so he could search what he wanted to, but Blaine didn't really understand computers. He'd never had one growing up, and he tended to stay away from them at school incase he did something wrong and humiliated himself. "I'm not sure. What was that advert even for?"

It didn't look like an advert to be taken seriously. Blaine was proud his brother had managed to get on television, but he wasn't too sure if he'd be winning any Oscars anytime soon. "It's a credit rating advert. We could just search up the website in the song?" Blaine just nodded. He'd only ever seen it once so he didn't have much idea what he was talking about.

Kurt quickly typed with nimble fingers into the search bar. The sound of the keys on the laptop was the only noise- the rest was dead, silent air. Soon a website popped up that looked just as cheesy as the advert. Blaine didn't say anything as Kurt surfed around- he obviously knew what he was doing.

"It doesn't say anything about the man in the advert." Blaine wanted to correct him from 'man in the advert' to 'Cooper', but that would just slow things down. "What else could we search?" Blaine asked. He got right up against Kurt and focused on the screen as much as he could. It was bright and hard to make things out with his one eye, but even he could see the only information they'd get from that website was how to lower their credit scores.

Kurt shrugged and went back to the homepage. "We could just ask his name. Someone is bound to have written it on the Internet somewhere." Blaine nodded. He didn't feel any less eager, even if their first search hadn't quite given him the answer he wanted. They hadn't proven it was Cooper, but they also hadn't proven it was someone else.

Kurt typed in "Who sings in the credit rating commercial" and pressed search. Blaine didn't think that was very specific or well worded, but thousands of results came up in seconds. He clicked on the first one, and a chat room was asking the exact same question. Blaine's hopes were brought up when he noticed there was one answer, but that person didn't seem to know either. They were just simply asking again.

The next fifteen minutes was spent going through different question websites that also wanted to know who the man was, but no one had known exactly. Coopers name hadn't been mentioned even once. "I don't think this will work." Blaine said after they'd left yet another website. Blaine wondered how good Cooper's publicity was if no one even knew who he was.

"We could just type in his name. Maybe an acting agency will come up or something." Blaine nodded. He was willing to try anything, but he wondered if Cooper had even kept his last name. He never liked the association he had with his father. Blaine watched Kurt type in his brother's name, and more results came up instantaneously.

At first Kurt scrolled last a few websites, and then one with a link to YouTube could be seen at the bottom of the page. Kurt quickly went straight to it, seeing the words that were written- "The free credit rating today commercial featuring **Cooper Anderson**." Kurt and Blaine both sat there and stared at it, before Kurt clicked through to the video.

Sure enough, the advert started to play through like it had on the television, and the song was the only sound. Neither of the boys dared to breathe or even blink in case they missed it. This time, Kurt paused the commercial just before it ended so that Cooper's face was displayed largely across the whole screen.

It was after a few minutes of staring that Blaine spoke. "It's him. It's really him." Kurt furrowed his eyebrows. He passed the laptop over to Blaine and got up so he could grab the picture on Blaine's nightstand. He sat back down and placed it on the screen. With them both next to each other, it was easy to see they were the same person. Blaine had known him for eight years of his life, so he'd been able to recognise him almost immediately.

"I don't believe this. I really don't." Blaine held his breathe. He had no idea if Kurt was happy or angry- he had become a bit unpredictable through all of this. He seemed to become angry at Blaine for the strangest of reasons, but he couldn't really blame him. But then Kurt broke out into a huge smile. "That's Cooper!"

They both started to laugh in celebration and at how absolutely ridiculous it was. Kurt leaned down and kissed Blaine at how happy he was, and Blaine had no problem with it at all. In the end Blaine pulled away and said, "What do we do now?" Kurt shrugged. "Do you want to talk to him? I mean...you didn't want to talk to your mom."

Blaine considered that for a second. When he was given his mother's number, he didn't want to call her at all. He wanted to spare her from who he was, and he didn't even know if he'd be able to talk to her. But now he knew who Cooper was and what he was doing, and there was an immediate need to hear his brothers voice again. He wondered if he really was sparing his mom pain, or whether there was a bigger reason as to why he didn't want her.

"I want to call him. I want to talk to him." He tried to sound confident in what he was saying, because he really did want it. Kurt raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure?" Blaine nodded and handed him the laptop that had been knocked onto the bed. "Do you want to do it tomorrow? It's been a long day and it's really late." Blaine didn't want to think about why the day had been so long, but as soon as Kurt said that he realised how exhausted he really was.

"Yeah. But you should turn this off, I have no idea how." Kurt chuckled and pressed the off switch, and stood up to go down to his own bedroom. "Do you still want to sleep up here?" Blaine looked around and then his eyes landed on the Kurt, who looked like the answer had his life depending on it. "No. Can I come back down with you?" Kurt smiled and held out his hand, which Blaine grabbed in an instant. They made their way downstairs, with Blaine still reeling that the next day he could have his brother back.

* * *

It was three in the morning when Blaine was woken up. Not by a nightmare, for once, but by a bright light near his face. He rubbed his eyes a few times to clear his head and sat up to see Kurt hunched over his laptop, trying to use his body to block the light as much as he could.

"Kurt?" Blaine mumbled, shuffling over to see the screen. He screwed up his eyes to see, and he immediately recognised the man in the picture. "What are doing looking up Cooper?" Kurt bit his lip and looked around with a guilty expression on his face. "I couldn't sleep thinking about it. And then I knew I'd have to wait a whole school day and I couldn't do it. But look." He turned the screen closer and Blaine had to look away from it because of the sheer whiteness against the black.

Kurt had managed to find a professional looking website full of his information, including an email address, every acting job he'd ever had and a telephone number Blaine assumed was his agents. "We can call him now and everything!" Blaine smiled in the darkness at how eager Kurt was.

"That's awesome, Kurt, but its three in the morning. We can't call him for a few hours." Kurt looked at him with desperate eyes that Blaine expected himself to have. "Can't we leave a message at least? Please? I can't sleep." Blaine looked at the screen again and noticed the words 'please call with business enquiries only'. It wasn't business related, but it was probably one of the most important calls Cooper would get.

He nodded an reached out for the phone that Kurt already had by his side. Blaine wondered if Kurt would have just called him anyway if he hadn't woken up beforehand. He typed out the number and read it over twice before hitting dial. He wanted to get it right, and didn't want to wake up anyone by mistake.

Blaine wasn't nervous. All he was expecting was an agents answering machine. He was pretty sure that when he called Cooper he'd need a while to prepare, and even then would find it difficult to say anything. What he wasn't suspecting was a sleepy, gravelly voice answering the phone. It definitely sounded like he'd been woken by the ringing.

_"Hello?"_ It croaked. Blaine knew it was him. It was deeper from being awoken and slightly angry at the phone call, but it was the same voice that had been in the commercial. It was Cooper. _"Hello?"_ Cooper said again, a bit more irritated that time. Blaine's mouth hung open and shot a desperate look Kurt's way.

Kurt looked just as shocked but understood what was going on. He switched on the light and grabbed Blaine's free hand. He wasn't going to speak for him- this was Blaine's brother, not his. Blaine sat there with his mouth opening and closing, his grip tightening on Kurt's hand by the second.

Cooper sighed through the phone. _"Is anyone there?"_ Blaine needed to say something- he couldn't handle Cooper hanging up on him even if it was the middle of the night. But he couldn't think of anything to say. In the end he settled on "Uhh..." just so Cooper would know someone was there and wouldn't hang up.

There was another sigh. _"What do you want, man?"_ Cooper said. _"It's really late."_ Blaine was silent for a second. He didn't really know how he got through to Cooper, but then he remembered that his brother probably was the type of idiot to put his home number on the Internet. "Um, hi." That was all Blaine could say at that point.

_"Hi...what the hell is this?"_ At least Cooper knew someone was there and wouldn't hang up. He'd obviously want some kind of answer. "Cooper?" His voice was shaking in the way it used to when he was scared. His voice had deepened and changed so Blaine didn't think there was any way he'd be able to know it was him.

There was some dead air on the line before he replied. _"...Yeah?"_ Blaine didn't know how to reply. Should he come out and just say it? There wasn't really any way to ease him into it, and he'd find out eventually. "I, uh...I don't know what to say..." Kurt caught his eye and gave him a reassuring look. He heard Cooper move around a bit on the other line. _"This is getting really, really weird. I seriously want to hang up right now."_

"No! No, don't do that, Cooper." He sighed again and Blaine wondered when he turned into a man that was so impatient with everyone. His voice was stern, like an actual grown up_. "Give me one reason why not."_ Blaine took a deep breath and shut his eyes, opening and closing his mouth like he had before.

"It's...It's me...Blaine. It's Blaine." Kurt's eyes widened and he gripped Blaine's hand tighter. He hadn't expected that, he thought that Cooper would hang up and he'd have to talk Blaine down, but obviously not. He couldn't believe how proud he was of him for doing that, but he suspected that he'd need an extra long appointment with Doctor Mayward soon.

Blaine heard some shuffling around on the other line and what sounded a lot like a light switch. It sounded like he was walking around. _"Don't fucking mess with me, man."_ He was talking through clenched teeth and there was clear anger in his voice. _"I dont know who you are, but this isn't funny. Calling me in the middle of the night and pretending to be my brother? Not. Fucking. Funny."_

"But...It is me, Cooper. It's Blaine."

_"Bullshit!"_

"No! Listen to me!" He was speaking loudly and hoped not to wake up anyone else in the house. It was the only way he thought he could get through to him, and sure enough he silenced for a few seconds_. "Fine."_ Cooper said. _"Prove it to me."_ Blaine stammered. How would he ever prove himself to a man who'd been absent half of his life? Shouldn't Cooper be the one proving his authenticity?

"How? Tell me how to prove it to you and I will." He could almost hear Cooper thinking of a question only Blaine could answer, but not too personal or awkward in case it was just a random person. He was pretty sure Cooper wouldn't ask about the abuse, but there was no reason why he couldn't ask about their dad.

_"What did I say when I said goodbye to you? The day that I left, what did I say?"_ He sounded determined, and all the sleep that had been thick in his voice had been washed away. Blaine could tell he was pacing, it was what he did. He was just as anxious as Blaine was, wondering if he could really have a brother after all the years.

Blaine knew exactly how to answer the question. Any stranger would have spouted crap about how he'd miss him and to be good, that he would always love him. But that wasn't true. He answered straight away, the answer running out of his mouth more cruelly than he'd meant it to. "Nothing. You didn't say anything, you just left. Like a coward." Blaine wondered if he'd gone over board, but it was the first time he'd admitted it. It was harsh, but Coopers voice became quiet.

_"I'm so sorry." _

"Coop...?"

_"Blaine. Oh, my God."_

He knew Cooper was tearing up. He could hear it in his voice, but the man was obviously trying to spare his brother from the pain he was in. Blaine smiled, and Kurt smiled back at him from where he was sitting. Kurt thought the comment about being a coward would have made him hang up straight away, but it was obviously what Blaine needed to get through to him.

_"What-why is, what are- what?"_ Was all Cooper could manage at first. Blaine laughed quietly and Cooper did too. _"This is amazing."_ He sounded so breathless through the phone. _"How are you even calling me? I don't give out my number a lot." _Blaine rolled his eyes and snorted. He obviously wasn't so careful considering where he found it.

"I saw you on TV. You're numbers on the internet, by the way."

_"Oh, shit. Really? How the hell?" _

Blaine had completely calmed, and it was so easy to talk to Cooper. It was almost like he'd never left. Cooper didn't sound mad or displeased that he called- he was the one trying to talk to him. Both boys were chuckling at Coopers idiocy before he gasped in true actor style and a thought occurred to me.

_"Why exactly are you calling me? You're not hurt are you? Are you okay? It wasn't dad, was it?" _

Blaine was about to protest, but then he realised that would be a lie. He had been hurt, he wasn't okay and was definitely their father who had done it. Blaine didn't want to tell him that, because those were the types of things that would make Cooper hate himself for leaving. So instead of answering, Blaine just sat there silently.

_"He did, didn't he? That son of a bitch."_ Blaine still didn't say anything, but he nodded along with what Cooper was saying_. "Put me on the phone with him right now. I don't even care, just do it. I'll give him a piece of my mind, I swear."_ Cooper was almost snarling, and Blaine knew right away he must have still cared about him. Why else would he want to speak to him?

"You can't, Cooper. He isn't here- well, I'm not there." There was a pause which Blaine guessed was Cooper calming down after what he'd just said and heard.

_"You left?"_ There was hope layered in Coopers voice in a way Blaine understood. On one hand Cooper wanted Blaine to be out of there and to be safe, and on the other hand he wanted Blaine to have left like he did, so he'd be able to forgive him for it. It wasn't the same thing of course. Cooper had left all of his family behind. Blaine had only left his father.

"...Not by choice." Blaine wouldn't have left if he hadn't been made to and he wanted Cooper to know that. It was the choice between leaving or...well, he didn't know what exactly would have happened but he knew it wouldn't be good_. "What happened?"_ Blaine sighed. He didn't know how to shorten the story_. "Please tell me, Blaine. I know it doesn't seem like it but I do care about you."_

Blaine sighed, almost as if the roles had been reversed. He didn't want to tell Cooper what had happened because he'd probably blame himself for it. But there was no way of them talking until he told him what happened. "Well...it got worse with dad." There a bit of silence that Cooper managed to fill.

_"How bad exactly?" _

"Just...really not good. Everyday was just...a bad day. I couldn't wear short sleeved shirts."

Cooper didn't say anything. Blaine wasn't really sure why he was telling him that because it wasn't something he had to know. He didn't really know how this story was going to unfold, but as long as he got the details it didn't matter how he told him. Blaine waited for something from Cooper, and soon got a shaky sounding _"Okay. Then what?"_

"I didn't tell anyone. No one knew, but then Kurt found out and-" Blaine shut up. He'd just told Cooper his boyfriends name, even if Cooper had no idea who he was. There wasn't any reason for Cooper to think anything weird about it. Kurt's back straightened at the mention of his name. He noticed the fear in Blaine's eyes and knew he wished he hadn't said that.

_"Woah- who's Kurt?"_ Blaine bit his lip. There was no point hiding it from him now, but he could easily slam the phone down. It didn't seem like a very Coopery think to do, but it could happen all the same.

"He's-" Blaine glanced at Kurt who was giving him a smile. "He's my boyfriend." Blaine waited for impending doom on the other side of the phone, but there was no sign of acknowledgment. Just a quick reply.

_"Okay. He found out, then...?"_ Cooper trailed off waiting for Blaine to finish his sentence, but he couldn't. His brother had just accepted that he was gay. No one had really ever done that for him before and it was pretty overwhelming. _"...then what happened?"_ Coopers voice shook him out of his trance.

"I, uh...I went home and stuff, and then dad..." He didn't quite know how to put it into words. Blaine heard Cooper hold his breathe. "He attacked me. Badly, and I had to run away. I'm at Kurt's right now." He heard either a sigh or a small son on the other end of the line_. "Jesus, Blaine. How long ago did this happen? Are you really hurt?" _

"Three weeks ago I think? I'm not hurt that bad..." Kurt raised an eyebrow at him and he was right. He needed to stop lying to people, especially his brother. "Well, I was but I'm okay. Kind of." Cooper made a confused noise_. "So...are you hurt or aren't you? I don't get it."_

"I am. It's hard to move sometimes, I...I didn't go to the hospital. Kurt's step mom is a nurse so she helped me."

_"Three weeks ago?"_

"Yeah I think so. But I'll be okay soon."

Blaine wanted to see Cooper so badly, but he didn't even know where he was. He might not have even been in the country- he could be in England or France for all he knew. There wasn't anything tying him down, it didn't seem like he had a girlfriend because there was no background noise.

_"Good, I'm glad."_ Cooper said_. "I...I missed you Blaine. So much."_ It sounded like he would tear up but not in a fake way. Blaine had genuinely been missed by his brother who'd been gone for years. "I missed you too."

_"You're sixteen, right? God...I wish I could see you." _

"Why don't you? I'm still here in Ohio."

_"I..."_ Blaine bit his lip would he come to see him? _"I could do that. I could do that!"_ Cooper started to laugh and so did Blaine. Eight years. After eight years he would get to see Cooper again, all because of a stupid credit rating commercial.

_"Oh, God. Wait until I tell mom. She's going to be so happy that you-"_

"No!"

Blaine had gone from unexplainably happy only to come crashing down again. Cooper couldn't tell his mom, even if she did still wonder where he was. She'd probably be heart broken that he called Cooper first and not her, but he was trying to spare her. Technically he was being crueller to Cooper.

_"...What?"_

"You can't tell mom. I haven't talked to her since she left and I don't want her to see me like this."

_"I know you haven't called her. She thinks you're mad at her, but she dealing with it."_

Cooper sounded so big brothery when he said that, like Blaine had done something he really shouldn't have. That fact his mom was only 'dealing' with it, instead of having 'dealt' with it after four years was worrying. Maybe he had been really missed.

"I only got her letter today. I would've called her straight away if I'd known." Cooper didn't say anything. He obviously knew that Blaine was telling the truth but he didn't know who to 'side' with- his mom or his little brother. _"You don't want her to know you were hurt?"_

"No. She'll blame herself, I know she will."

_"Okay. Look, Blaine its really early and I have work tomorrow. Can I call you tomorrow to find out about seeing you?" _

Blaine smiled. "Sure. That would be good." Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand and smiled. He couldn't hold in his smile and it spread over his whole face. _"Bye, Blaine. Thanks for calling. I...I'll speak to you soon." _

"Bye Cooper. See you." He took the phone away from his head and hung up, then let out a long breathe. He wasn't sure if it was relief or just from the amazement. Kurt was smiling and grabbed Blaine's other hand. He'd managed to slide his laptop onto the floor while Blaine was on the phone.

He wanted to tell Kurt what just happened, but just as he was about he was attacked by a giant yawn that he covered with his hands. Kurt just smiled and squeezed his hands tighter. "Want to tell me tomorrow?" Blaine's eyelids were drooping now that he didn't have anything to do, and it was hard to stay awake.

Blaine shuffled back and got into bed. Kurt turned off the lights and laid next to Blaine. Their heads were turned inwards so their foreheads were touching, and the sides of their arms had contact too. Other than that, they were separate.

"Hey, Blaine?" Kurt whispered into the darkness.

"Mmph?" Blaine's eyes were already closed and his breathing was heavy. Kurt was looking at his peaceful face and felt bad for disturbing him, but he couldn't bare the small distance between them.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you, I wanted to help. I love you so much, I hope you know that. I'm just really sorry."

Blaine didn't say anything at all. He didn't even open his eyes. Kurt could see him swallow thickly in the dark. Instead of answering, he rolled onto his side and looped an arm over Kurt's stomach, and interlaced their legs so he couldn't be any closer. Blaine's grip on him was tight and he guessed it was his form of an apology.

In a few minutes, Blaine was asleep and Kurt could the slight whistling sound his breathing made. Kurt slowly leant down and kissed him on the top of the head and slowly rubbed his hand up and down his rough arms.

"I love you," he whispered, even though he couldn't hear him. "I know you'll be okay one day. I do." And with that, Kurt fell asleep too. When Burt came down that night to check on Blaine, he saw them both wrapped together and smiled. He wouldn't wait for the nightmare this time, he'd let them be alone even if they were just sleeping. They tried so hard, and like any other couple they would make it through. He just knew it.


End file.
